Dodik: North of Kosovo to remain in Serbia with Republika Srpska joining Serbia as well (KoSSev, TV Prva)
The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik announced in Belgrade today that one of the possible solutions of the Kosovo issue is for the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo to remain in Serbia with Republika Srpska also joining the Republic of Serbia. ''If that is the solution, I will not oppose it,'' he told Belgrade's TV Prva, which was then picked up by Belgrade media.
This could be the very first Serb (official representative) who might have given clarification on what is the idea of delimitation often advocated by officials in Serbia led by the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic.
''War in Bosnia and Herzegovina is no longer possible, but a decision on the independence of Republika Srpska is possible,'' Dodik told TV Prva before a scheduled meeting between RS representatives and President Vucic in the Serbian capital.
Dodik also spoke highly of the Serbian president, emphasizing that everyone in Serbia should rally around the leadership and presidency of Aleksandar Vucic. He also added that they should do all they can so that ''a strong Serbia takes on an international plan and fight to resolve the Kosovo and Metohija issue in its interest''.
''We have such big pressing issues that can have a global character – Kosovo and Metohija and Bosnia and Herzegovina with Republika Srpska. Why keep these issues open instead of solving them and focusing on development,'' the President of Republika Srpska underlined.
When asked what he thinks about the idea that all problems in the Western Balkans should be jointly dealt with, Dodik replied that the issues of Republika Srpska and Kosovo are related, because they are ''essential issues for the Serbian people''.
''The primary national issue of Serbia is Kosovo and Metohija, but the primary national issue is also the RS which has a million Serb residents,'' he added.
In November 2017, when a Deutsche Welle journalist asked Dodik how he sees the Balkan region once it becomes a part of the European Union, he replied by redrawing the map of the Balkans, adding RS and the northern part of Kosovo to Serbia.
''Serbia, Srpska and North of Kosovo joined?'' – the Deutsche Welle journalist asked, to which Dodik said: ''What’s wrong with that? This is really nice.''
Kossev recalls that in the same interview, Dodik also said that he was not against the independence of Kosovo, but that he was in favor of talks between Belgrade and Pristina, and that if Belgrade decides to do so, he would ''not mind''. ''Why shouldn’t Republika Srpska do the same? '' – he concluded.
See at: https://bit.ly/2mufqSa