MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. The Serbian people will always be on the side of the Russians, regardless of current events or the position of the West, President Milorad Dodik of Republika Srpska (one of the two constituent entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina) said in an exclusive interview with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov.

"No matter what happens, the Serbs will be on the side of the Russians. This is what drives them (the West - TASS) crazy, <...> this is why they think that the Serbs must be punished. Russia may even make mistakes, do something not quite right, but the Serbs will be on its side," he said.

According to the politician, the two peoples are united by their Orthodox Christian faith, their adherence to the same political principles, their love for their native lands, patriotism and the desire for freedom. "We have both learned that no people can be free without having a strong country. So many things unite us," Dodik said. In his view, both nations historically lived under the conditions of confrontation and yet still managed to preserve the key attributes of their identity, such as language, national character and writing systems.

"When the Serbs follow international sporting events, they, of course, root for Serbia, but the next [favorite] national team that they root for is Russia. This simply cannot be changed. And it is this way from my grandson, who is now five years old, to the oldest person in our country," the leader of Republika Srpska added.