The Dayton Peace Agreement is a guarantee of peace for Republika Srpska, as well as a guarantee of our rights, stated today the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, at a special session of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska.
He said that the Dayton Peace Agreement was not perfect, but it worked.
“It was not a utopia, but it was real and achieved its primary goal. For thirty years it has maintained peace, not because it confirmed Republika Srpska, created the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but because it respected them, as they are, with all specificities, complexities and yes, with all differences,” Dodik emphasized in his address on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH, RTRS reports.
He stressed that the Dayton Agreement is very important for Republika Srpska and warned that instead of the day peace was established, the Federation of BiH celebrates the day the war began.
“In Bosnia, people are always at war with something – with other people, with themselves, with their delusions, wrote our Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić. And in Dayton, we found a way to finally end that war and return to ourselves, our homes, and our families. For Republika Srpska, Dayton is more than a peace agreement. It is not only a guarantee of peace, but also a guarantee of our rights,” Dodik said and reminded that to end the war, the Dayton Agreement, with its Annex 4 and the Constitution of BiH, established a new political system and thereby, in fact, eliminated the causes of the war.
According to him, the war in BiH did not begin because of intolerance among peoples, but because the principle of equality was violated.
Dodik emphasized that the Dayton Agreement was not a suggestion or a mere declaration, but a contract that established the Constitution of BiH.
“It was written, agreed upon, and signed by all parties – that is, Republika Srpska, the Federation of BiH, Serbia, Croatia, and the illegitimate Alija Izetbegović on behalf of some BiH, actually on behalf of Bosnian Muslims – Bosniaks. It was concluded with the full support of the United States of America, France, Great Britain, Russia, the Federal Republic of Germany, with the assistance of the European Union and other partners,” Dodik reminded, emphasizing that for thirty years, Republika Srpska has respected and lived in accordance with this agreement.
Struggle for Control Over Strategic Natural Resources
Dodik stated that the current situation in BiH is not about European values, not even about Dayton, but about the struggle for control over strategic natural resources on the European continent.
“We talked about the Dayton Agreement. We talked about the self-proclaimed Schmidt. We talked about democracy as a principle, and now let’s talk about the real issue at the heart of this storm: land, property, and resources beneath the surface,” Dodik said at the special assembly session on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Agreement, RTRS reports.
According to him, in the last few years, extensive geological surveys have confirmed that Republika Srpska lies on vast reserves of critical minerals, including lithium, boron, strontium, sodium, and potassium.
“These are not ordinary minerals. They are worth 100 billion dollars. These are strategic resources. They are necessary for electric vehicles, defense systems, energy storage, and advanced technologies, here, in America, in Europe, and around the world,” Dodik said.
He pointed out that the deposits in the Lopare basin are particularly significant, which, as he stated, is one of the most promising untapped lithium and boron deposits in Europe, if not in the world.
But, he added, unlike other locations facing war, instability, or local population resistance, “we have the geological potential, social stability, and political will to develop them responsibly.”
“Ask yourselves: Why did (High Representative) Christian Schmidt appear in 2021 precisely when geological experts confirmed these deposits? Why, after years of so-called neutrality, did he launch a campaign to criminalize the Law on Property of Republika Srpska, suspend budget financing of our party, and threaten our institutions? Why does he want an office in Sarajevo that would manage resources? Why such haste, such desperation, to transfer ownership of property and resources from the entities to Sarajevo?” Dodik asked.
As he stated, the answer is simple because minerals mean money, power, and development.
“This is not about constitutional reform. This is not about European values. This is not even about Dayton. This is a struggle for control over strategic natural resources on the European continent. This is about plunder. Ask yourselves what the difference is between colonial rulers then and now. I don’t know that one exists,” emphasized the President of Republika Srpska.
He added that Republika Srpska is not opposed to cooperation and development, nor to sharing the benefits of these resources with partners. He stressed that these mineral riches should benefit all citizens, regardless of nationality, political party, or place of residence in Republika Srpska.
“What we cannot accept is a system where ownership should be taken from our institutions by decree of a foreign, unelected official – contrary to Dayton; where this fake Schmidt acts as a real estate agent in the interest of his mentors who would get everything for nothing, and where the BiH level, formed in Dayton for coordination, is instrumentalized as a means of acquiring ownership and extracting wealth from the people living on that land,” Dodik stated.
As he assessed, this is not peace, but “obvious fraud, brazen expropriation,” which no nation and no democracy would accept. Dodik stated that a framework that respects the Dayton structure and the constitutional competencies of the entities should be agreed upon.
“We must do this in the right way. Not in Schmidt’s way. Because we believe in partnership, but only in one that begins with respect for rights and consent,” Dodik said.
He told the citizens of Republika Srpska that this is “our moment – not to go into battle, but to stand tall.”
“In light of this anniversary, to the world, and especially to the United States of America, we say: We are not your problem. We are your partner. Of course, if you accept us. We do not ask you to solve our political problems. We only ask you to remember the agreement you authored – and to help us return to it. We are ready to contribute to your strategic goals, such as, for example, minerals, stability, and traditional diplomacy,” Dodik said.
He noted that all Republika Srpska asks in return is adherence to “the same principles that made Dayton possible,” which are consent, constitutionality, and sovereignty.
“To our friends in Europe – especially those who remember the harsh lessons of history – I say this: We know that Europe is not monolithic. We know that there are those in Europe who understand that stability does not arise from silencing elected leaders, but from strengthening institutions, building mutual respect, and supporting dialogue instead of dictating in BiH,” Dodik emphasized.
He added that “we all want” a Europe where agreements are respected, differences are valued, and sovereignty is not perceived as a threat, but as a foundation for cooperation.
“I thank Serbia, which consistently respects the Dayton Agreement and always stands by Republika Srpska. To Russia, which has always supported the letter of the Dayton Agreement. Moscow’s principled and consistent policy continuously calls for respect for international treaties, rejects interference in the internal affairs of other states, and arbitrary interventionism. We remain partners with great Russia in everything,” stated the President of Republika Srpska.
He thanked China for its “principled and politically neutral conduct” and its “consistent action” in the Security Council on issues concerning BiH.
Dodik called on the guarantors of the Dayton Agreement to allow an internal agreement in BiH and abolish the institution of the High Representative, and to leave the Constitutional Court to domestic judges.
“Let’s return to the Dayton Agreement. Let’s achieve this together, with partners in the country, with friends in Russia and China, partners in the United States of America and Europe, with all allies in truth and law, as dignified and free peoples who will never entrust their future to anyone but themselves,” Dodik concluded.
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Source: RTV, Foto: SRNA / BORISLAV ZDRINJA