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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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More Serbian investment in Republika Srpska

Belgrade/Banjaluka, 8 June 2010

Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic stated today in Banjaluka that Serbia plans to invest in commerce, infrastructure, energy and transport projects in Republika Srpska in the near future.

Author: Tanjug

After the third session of the Council for Cooperation between Serbia and Republika Srpska, Cvetkovic emphasised that Serbia supports Bosnia-Herzegovina’s right to territorial integrity and will be in favour of any agreement acceptable to all sides concerned.

He announced that Serbian and Republika Srpska ministries will sign cooperation memorandums over the coming months, which will facilitate the implementation of the Agreement on Special Parallel Relations.

The signing of these memorandums will make it possible to monitor the implementation of the Agreement on a daily basis and it will give a more formal character to recommendations made at the sessions of the Council for Cooperation, he noted.

Today’s session covered a wide range of economic issues, and cultural and education cooperation, outlined Cvetkovic.

Serbia has plans for investing in infrastructure, he confirmed, adding that one of the major projects is work on the construction of a motorway connecting Pozega, Uzice and Visegrad, which will link Republika Srpska with the entire network of motorways in Serbia.

The Prime Minister expounded the importance of the South Stream gas pipeline project and stated that Serbia will make every effort to ensure that a plan where one of the pipeline links would reach Republika Srpska goes ahead.

President Boris Tadic reiterated that Serbia stands behind the Dayton Agreement and as its guarantor supports the integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the two entities of Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, adding that according to the Dayton Agreement Serbia has a right to special parallel relations with Republika Srpska.

Any attempt at imposing a decision by any side in Bosnia-Herzegovina will not be acceptable for Serbia, he declared, stressing that Serbia supports and upholds the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Dayton Agreement, without bringing into question the territorial integrity of any other UN member country.

Any political change agreed on by the two entities and three peoples of Bosnia-Herzegovina will be acceptable for Serbia, as Serbia wishes to build regional cooperation and stability, the President affirmed.

Tadic repeated that nobody in the EU can blackmail Serbia by making it a condition for Serbia to give up its southern province and its right to territorial integrity and sovereignty in order to be granted membership.

Serbia will support all efforts for establishing regional cooperation and for providing the people in the region a better standard of living, but it will never, explicitly or implicitly, recognise the independence of Kosovo-Metohija, he asserted.

Speaking about Serbia’s European future, the President pointed out that there is no other realistic political alternative than joining the EU and Serbia will continue to encourage policies geared to this end in all neighbouring countries.

Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik highlighted that since 2004, Serbia has been the biggest investor in Republika Srpska, with investment totalling 1.7 billion convertible marks (BAM).

The cooperation between Republika Srpska and Serbia is very successful, he remarked and added that projects that will be mutually undertaken include the construction of a bridge on the Drina River in Fakovici and the completion of a bridge on the Raca River and of the Visegrad-Uzice railway.

The signing of a memorandum on cooperation between the ministries of the governments of Serbia and Republika Srpska was also agreed upon.

President of Republika Srpska Rajko Kuzmanovic explained that cooperation in the fields of economy, education, energy, infrastructure, culture and health is increasing.

Kuzmanovic reiterated that the leadership of Republika Srpska strongly supports regional cooperation and European integration of the Balkan countries. The Agreement on establishing special and parallel ties between Serbia and Republika Srpska was signed on 26 September 2006 in Banjaluka. The Commission for monitoring the agreement’s implementation has met twice so far – in Banjaluka on 6 September 2007 and in Belgrade on 7 November 2008.