Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia, Republika Srpska improve cooperation in all areas

Belgrade/Banja Luka, 26 September 2006

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica attended the opening of Komercijalna Banka in Banja Luka today and said that this is a great day for Serbia and Republika Srpska since more than 300 Serbian businessmen have come to Banja Luka to improve the countries' cooperation in all areas.

Vojislav Kostunica

Kostunica recalled that an agreement on setting up special and parallel relations between Serbia and Republika Srpska is also to be signed, which will enable these two countries to expand their cooperation in many aspects.

According to Kostunica, the agreement will not become a dead letter but be of use to the citizens of Serbia and Republika Srpska and it will represent a beginning in their cooperation.

The agreement will refer to their cooperation in the economy, culture and sports, specified Kostunica adding that a huge number of businessmen have arrived in Banja Luka, which will help the agreement to expand to all areas of cooperation.

The Serbian Prime Minister said that the opening of Komercijalna Banka in Banja Luka represents strong support to future expanded and improved economic cooperation, which is what cooperation between Serbia and Republika Srpska should be like.

"This is an important beginning in our relations and many such gatherings are yet to come. May our relations improve, may they flourish and expand in the spirit of general cooperation in the region and the indispensable cooperation between Serbia and Republika Srpska", said the Serbian Prime Minister.

Milorad Dodik

Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik stressed that this is a significant day for Republika Srpska, adding that he has waited a long time for this moment and that he speaks for all of his countrymen when he says that Komercijalna Banka in Banja Luka will do its business for the benefit of businesspeople from Serbia and Republika Srpska, as well as for all Republika Srpska citizens.

He recalled that the Republika Srpska market is legally ordered and voiced expectations that the newly-opened bank will become the leader in the Republika Srpska finance sector.

According to Dodik, the upcoming year will be a year of strong investments in Republika Srpska, which is why the country welcomes a bank that has the potential to support these investments, especially since it comes from Belgrade.

Speaking about Komercijalna Banka in Belgrade, Serbian Minister of Finance Mladjan Dinkic said that this bank holds the leading position in Serbia as well as in the regional banking sector.

I have to say that I am very proud today. Komercijalna Banka is the first Serbian bank that entered a foreign market and what other market could it be but that of Banja Luka, Dinkic said and added that the Serbian government, the majority owner of Komercijalna Banka, has tasked it with being the No1 bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The opening of Komercijalna Banka was attended by President of Republika Srpska Dragan Cavic, ministers of finance of Serbia and Republika Srpska Mladjan Dinkic and Aleksandar Dzombic, Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanic, Speaker of Republika Srpska parliament Igor Radojicic, representatives of financial institutions, and several hundreds of citizens of Banja Luka.

During the visit to Banja Luka, ministers of health of Serbia and Republika Srpska Tomica Milosavljevic and Ranko Skrbic reached agreement on future forms of cooperation and settlement of debts to health institutions in Serbia.

The Serbian Minister of Health explained that the Serbian government has offered to write-off a quarter of the debt, while the government of Republika Srpska offered to compensate the debt through favourable credit arrangements.

Minister of Health of Republika Srpska Ranko Skrbic said that the issue of debts to Serbia which stand at approximately €15 million should be resolved by the end of this year.

Our aim is to establish a two-track form of communication so that our patients continue to receive medical treatment in health institutions in Serbia when that is not possible in Republika Srpska, Skrbic said. He added that he also expects help from Serbia in the training of medical staff and that the project of family medicine which is being realised in Republika Srpska has been discussed.

A business meeting will be held today in Banja Luka which will be attended by prime ministers of Serbia and Republika Srpska Vojislav Kostunica and Milorad Dodik, presidents of Serbia and Republika Srpska Boris Tadic and Dragan Cavic and ministers of economy Predrag Bubalo and Mladen Micic.