Dodik, after the CIA director's visit to Bosnia: Secession has never been the policy of the RS

2024-08-21 16:31:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Dodik, after the CIA director's visit to Bosnia: Secession has never been

Republika Srpska (RS) has "never contested" the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with the Dayton Agreement, while secession "has never been our policy", Milorad Dodik, president of the Serbian entity, said on Wednesday. of one of the two entities that make up Bosnia.

Dodik, who is sanctioned by the United States, made these statements after a visit by the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, to Sarajevo on August 20.

Burns visited Sarajevo on Tuesday where he discussed, among other things, secessionist rhetoric and Dodik's actions, a US government official told Radio Free Europe, who asked to remain anonymous.

Burns met with the director of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Intelligence and Security Agency, Almir Xhuvo, and members of the Bosnian Presidency, Denis Beqirovi?, Zhelko Komši? and Zelka Cvijanovi?, the US-sanctioned Serbian member. A day after Burns' visit, Dodik wrote on the X social network that "the fight against terrorism is the duty of the entire free world, and in this context the visit of the director of the CIA, Mr. William Burns, to Bosnia and Herzegovina is significant" .

"The Republika Srpska is committed to this fight and welcomes any cooperation in this field," said Dodik.

Dodik claimed that the Serbian entity does not intend to secede from Bosnia, but that "it has the right to a political struggle for its status, in accordance with the letter of the Dayton Agreement".

With the 1995 Dayton Agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country was divided into two autonomous entities - the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska - plus the Brcko County, which is a self-governing administrative unit.

All together are under the umbrella of the federal government and the rotating presidency.

"BiH is a union of two equal entities and three constituent peoples, so Mr. Burns's position that the responsibility for the functioning of the country falls on all ethnic communities is encouraging," Dodik said.

In March of this year, the US intelligence community in its annual report on threats around the world, in the section related to BiH, mentioned the name of Milorad Dodik.

"Dodik is taking provocative steps to neutralize international monitoring in Bosnia and Herzegovina and ensure de facto secession for Republika Srpska," the document said.

After Sarajevo, Burns is expected to visit Belgrade as well. The former commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Kadri Kastrati, told Radio Free Europe that the CIA chief's visit to the region shows that the United States has enough information about Russia's efforts - through its ally, Serbia – for the Western Balkans to be at risk of a possible conflict.

A former diplomat and former ambassador to Russia, Burns is a central figure in the administration of US President Joe Biden, as he is also a member of the White House presidential cabinet.

President Biden appointed him to the position of CIA director in January 2021.

Burns was sworn in as CIA director in March 2021, becoming the first career diplomat to serve as director. President Biden promoted him to the cabinet in June 2023./ Rel