Vucic: Serbia to always guarantee peace, respect of Dayton agreement

DOBOJ - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday Serbia would always be there to guarantee peace and respect of the Dayton Agreement as well as the existence and survival of Republika Srpska.

"That is something no one can take away from us and it is all in accordance with the Dayton Peace Accord. We have always said we respect Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also Republika Srpska and its integrity within Bosnia and Herzegovina," Vucic said at the ceremonial opening of a health centre in Stanari near Doboj, Republika Srpska.

Serbia and Republika Srpska will never go against each other's interests or let the Serbs be jeopardised, Vucic said.

Despite pressures, both sides will continue to develop, he said.

He said he had agreed on such a course of action with Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.

"The relations between Serbs in Srpska and Serbs in Serbia and between citizens of Serbia and Srpska, if you will, have never been so intelligently regulated, balanced and good. We do not have a problem with anyone else - we respect Bosniaks, Croats, ethnic Albanians, and we have nothing against anyone, we just want our people, too, to live on their own land and we want international regulations respected," he said.

Vucic said people in Serbia and Srpska wanted the Dayton agreement respected and did not want to be "always to blame for everything."

"That is why Serbia will always be there to also guarantee peace and respect of the Dayton Agreement, as well as the existence and survival of Republika Srpska," he said.

The big powers know what Serbia will never allow to happen, he said.

"We will never allow anyone to threaten the existence of Serbs, or a pogrom or expulsion. That is a thing that needs to be clear to everyone," he noted.