Đurić: Satisfied with Meetings in Sarajevo and Banja Luka

“The Serbian delegation is not here to score political points, but to achieve tangible and concrete progress in regional cooperation, to build better and higher-quality relations, and, naturally, to care for the position of the Republic of Srpska and our people, as well as to discuss how we can mutually support one another on the path toward the European Union,” Minister Đurić emphasized.

He also pointed out that the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina recognizes the Republic of Serbia within its internationally recognized borders, including Kosovo and Metohija, is significant for Serbia.

“We likewise support the territorial integrity and the Dayton Agreement, as well as the position of the Republic of Srpska, and overall cooperation that should be oriented toward the future. It is clear that there are differing perspectives on many issues and developments from the past three and a half decades. This undoubtedly remains present in both the political life and the historical memory of our peoples. No one is suggesting that such matters should be swept under the carpet, but there is a clear commitment and desire, for the sake of our future and the future of our countries and peoples, that our relations move forward,” Đurić stressed.

He reiterated that the objective is not to gain political points, noting that there are many politically more popular things one could choose to do.

“We believe—and it is personally important to me, and I have a mandate from President Aleksandar Vučić—to work toward stabilizing the situation, safeguarding the position of our people, and strengthening economic cooperation. That was the purpose of today’s meetings at the Regional Cooperation Council, and I must say that I also felt extremely welcome yesterday in Banja Luka. I can therefore say that we are successfully concluding this visit,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Đurić stated.

Responding to journalists’ questions, Đurić underlined that today’s discussions were conducted with a view to achieving a form of moratorium on harsh statements, harsh rhetoric, and harsh actions, as we believe this is in the mutual interest.

“I cannot assess what the outcome of these efforts will be, as this does not depend solely on us, but I can assure the public that there is no lack of good faith on our part in seeking to achieve such an understanding,” Đurić said.

Speaking about the results achieved by the leadership of the Republic of Srpska in recent months at the international level, Đurić assessed that they are impressive and of importance to our entire people, including beyond the Republic of Srpska.

“In that sense, what we discussed yesterday was not merely my tribute to the efforts and endeavors of the leadership of the Republic of Srpska, but a sincere desire that, through mutual cooperation and advocacy for values we believe we share, we achieve even better results in the future,” Đurić stated.

He once again emphasized that such cooperation is not at the expense of anyone and is grounded in the existing legal and geopolitical framework.

“It is the result of Serbia’s sincere and unwavering determination to stand by its people and, naturally, by the Republic of Srpska, just as we are determined and committed to quality regional cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina and all regional actors. Among other reasons, we believe that the changes taking place globally represent a new security and political configuration that requires us to take the first step, even when it may not be the most politically popular course of action,” Đurić concluded.