If anyone has meddled in the Balkans and spread malign influence, then it's Western countries and their intelligence services, and not Russia. This has been stated by the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) Milorad Dodik.

"Many of the bad things that have been happening here in the last centuries have been tied precisely to the malign influence of anti-Serb politics, primarily of the British, who are persistently trying to curb the influence of the Serbs, as a majority people in the Balkans. And all these accusations against Moscow are in the function of Serbia and the Serb Republic (RS, Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina) entering NATO," Dodik told Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti.

Regarding the pressure on the RS and Serbia to give up their military neutrality, Dodik said that this pressure "will not disappear and will be getting stronger."

"But it's all in vain. The British have approved six million pounds to fight 'the malign influence' of Russia, and the Americans also do the same through some of their funds. In Sarajevo, Podgorica and Tirana there are intelligence centers that the West has installed. They put together a list of 300 people from Serbia and the RS who allegedly spread that Russian malign influence and thus put target marks on all these people," Dodik explained.

According to him, the stance of the RS towards NATO will not change.

"The Serbs gain nothing from joining NATO, it would definitely be the site of the destruction of our national corps and our national idea. Well, that same NATO only 20 years ago dropped bombs on us, and now we should be delighted to accept joining them," Dodik underlined.

Asked if the issue of NATO is blocking the formation of the Council of Ministers in BiH, Dodik said that these conditions are not national, but is aware that they will not disappear.

"I repeat, the RS has no reason to support the path toward NATO, because we would lose our independence and sovereignty and the opportunity to build friendships with other countries," Dodik said.