Serbia: New president and Bosnian leader together 'oppose Kosovo independence'

Belgrade, 8 Aug. (AKI) - Serbian president Tomislav Nikolic and Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik on Wednesday jointly opposed independence of Kosovo, declared by majority Albanians in 2008 and called for closer ties between Belgrade and Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska (RS).

Dodik, who is president of the RS, made his first official visit to Belgrade since Nikolic, former ultranationalist turned pro-European, was elected president in May, beating former pro-European president Boris Tadic.

Dodik supported Tadic in the election campaign, but said it was a “thing of the past” which should have no effect on relations between Belgrade and Banjaluka, RS capital, which have special relations based on Dayton peace accord that ended Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war.

According to the Dayton peace accord, Bosnia was divided into two entities with large autonomy, the RS and a Muslim-Croat federation. Dodik said that Bosnia was kept together only thanks to the international pressure, while on the other hand it supported Kosovo secession from Serbia.

“Bosnia-Herzegovina is in permanent crisis which is a proof of its inability to survive,” Dodik said. “It exists only because the international community supports the appearance of its functionality, otherwise it wouldn’t exist,” he said.

On the other hand, “the international community supported illegal and unconstitutional declaration of Kosovo independence, humiliating and underestimating Serbia and Serbian people,” Dodik said.