Vucic: We expect Bosnia and Herzegovina to respect the territorial integrity of Serbia

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said today in Banja Luka, after the session of the Council for the Cooperation of Serbia and Republika Srpska, that Serbia expected Bosnia and Herzegovina to respect the territorial integrity of Serbia in the same way as Serbia respected the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with international law and resolutions from the UN Charter, which had not been the case during the vote in the Council of Europe, RTV reported.

"Serbia fully respects the UN Charter and does not choose whether it suits it or not in individual cases. We respect the principles of international law, and in accordance with that, Serbia respected, respects, and will respect all the norms of the Dayton Peace Agreement, from which the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina arose as a foundation of Bosnia and Herzegovina that is made up of two entities and three constituent peoples," Vucic emphasized, Tanjug reported.

He pointed out that Serbia had respected and would respect the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also the integrity of the two entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina and any agreement between the three constituent peoples and the two entities.

"We believe it is very important and we expect Bosnia and Herzegovina to respect the territorial integrity of Serbia in the same way as we respect the territorial integrity of that country, in accordance with international law and the resolutions derived from the UN Charter, which was not the case during the vote in the Council of Europe, so we would ask our friends in Bosnia and Herzegovina to show respect for the territorial integrity of Serbia in the future, in the same way as we show for the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Vucic said.

Serbia will behave as if sanctions against the Republika Srpska leadership do not exist

Vucic also stated that Serbia would not recognize the sanctions imposed by the USA on the leaders of Republika Srpska and said that they were always welcome in Serbia and that he would continue to cooperate with them.

He said that Serbia was against sanctions because they always produced the wrong effects and that it itself had been exposed to severe sanctions for almost a decade.

"We consider the sanctions against the leadership of the Republika Srpska to be inappropriate and undeserved, and accordingly, even though we are a small country and a small people, especially compared to such a great power as the USA, we have no choice and, accordingly, the Republic of Serbia will treat the sanctioned persons as if sanctions do not exist. For us, sanctions do not exist, we will not apply them, and in no way will we agree with those who introduced those sanctions against members of our nation," Vucic said.

He added that it was the only possible decision for us, a fair, honorable, and difficult decision, because of which the Republic of Serbia would suffer consequences, not direct, but indirect without a doubt.

"We have no choice and we cannot leave our people in the lurch; we will not set up blockades on the Drina, as some have set up blockades on the Drina and forbid persons from the Republika Srpska to come to Serbia. All persons who are under US sanctions are welcome here, you will not have any problem in Serbia and we will continue to cooperate with you, especially bearing in mind that we are convinced that these sanctions will not bring good to anyone, and will harm our trust towards such great powers that bring such measures exclusively towards members of the Serbs," Vucic concluded.

He reiterated that Serbia did not shy away from respecting the piety of other nations, both Croatian and Bosniak, but that this did not mean that we were ready to forget the Serbian victims and to be silent about them.

"Last night we had an extraordinary dinner at the Osovica Monastery and we talked about all the important issues together with Patriarch Porfirije and about all the difficult topics in the region in the situation in which both Serbia and the Republika Srpska are. I explained all the troubles and problems regarding Kosovo and Metohija, all the double standards, and Dodik and the people from the Republika Srpska talked about their problems and sanctions. Because when the most powerful country in the world imposes sanctions and criminalizes your leaders, it's not easy," Vucic said.

According to him, many people forget how everything started and how they did not think for a single moment to punish Kosovo's Minister of Interlan Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, or anyone else.

"Then come the sanctions against the head of the Security Intelligence Agency, and against Dodik and others from the Republika Srpska. This is difficult news for our people, and because of that, we must be concerned and find pragmatic solutions," Vucic said.