BELGRADE, June 8 The authorities of Serbia and the Republika Srpska of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RS BiH) unanimously adopted the Declaration on the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People at a meeting of the two governments on Saturday.
The leadership of Serbia and the Republika Srpska of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RS BiH) are holding an All-Serbian Council on Saturday in light of the UN General Assembly resolution on the «genocide in Srebrenica». On Friday evening, members of the government delegations inspected the construction of a section of the highway and a bridge across the Sava River, which should further connect Serbia and RS BiH.
On Saturday, after a solemn prayer service in the largest church of St. Sava in the government complex «Chamber of Serbia», an extended meeting of the two governments was held with the participation of Patriarch of Serbia Porfiry. During the meeting, participants voted for the “Declaration on the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Shared Future of the Serbian People.”
“The declaration was adopted unanimously. We have made a historically significant decision,” Vucic told the audience. The parliaments of Serbia and Republika Srpska BiH must approve the declaration in the next 90 days.
Among the 49 points of the extensive document is the recognition of all Serbs in the region and the world as one nation with a common history, language, Cyrillic writing and culture, the definition of Kosovo and Metohija as an integral part of Serbia, confirmation of the military neutrality of Serbia, commitment to the peace Dayton Agreement and the rights and powers of the Republic prescribed therein Serbian and the need to maintain the memory of the Serbian victims of World War II and other wars. The Serbian Orthodox Church is called the support of the Serbian people with equal respect for Serbs of all religions.
Ministers from Belgrade and Banja Luka also exchanged seven signed memorandums and agreements on cooperation in various areas from local government to family care and demography.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier called on compatriots in Serbia and the Republic of Srpska Bosnia and Herzegovina (RS BiH) for unity in the face of external challenges.
The central meeting under the motto at 17.00 (18.00 Moscow time) “One people, one cathedral — Serbia and (Republic — ed.) Srpska» is scheduled on the main square of Belgrade.
Among the expected decisions is an agreement on the construction of a memorial to the victims of the German fascists and Croatian Ustasha (Nazis — ed.) in World War II in the Donja Gradina concentration camp, part of the Jasenovac camp complex.
The UN General Assembly on May 23 approved a resolution on the “genocide in Srebrenica” during the war in BiH in July 1995. The initiators were Germany and Rwanda. The document was supported by representatives of 84 UN member states, 19 voted against, 68 abstained, and a number of states did not participate in the vote.
After the vote, Vucic said that Serbia will not forget Russia, China, Hungary and the UAE voted against the resolution. He also especially thanked Belarus for voting against the resolution.
The President of the RS BiH, Milorad Dodik, said in an interview that by the end of June he will propose to the other part of the country — the Muslim-Croatian Federation of BiH — a proposal for the peaceful delimitation of BiH; in his words, «the separation process can be lengthy.»
According to the leadership of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska BiH, this resolution proclaims the Serbs as a “genocidal people” and raises the question of the legitimacy of the existence of the RS BiH. The UN General Assembly in the text “decides to designate July 11 as the International Day of Commemoration and Commemoration of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide, which shall be observed annually.” The document condemns «denial of the genocide in Srebrenica.»
Bosnia and Herzegovina announced its secession from Yugoslavia in 1992, after which a war began in the republic with the participation of Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats, which lasted until 1995. The exact number of victims has not been officially established; various sources indicate a figure of over 100 thousand people. With the participation of the international community, the peace Dayton Agreement was signed, three entities were formed — the BiH Federation, the Republika Srpska and the special district of Brčko. The state is headed by a presidium consisting of three people: one representative each from the Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks (Muslim Slavs).