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Republika Srpska awards Putin for his support for Dayton Agreement — Dodik

Earlier, Dodik bestowed Republika Srpska’s highest award on Russian President for strengthening cooperation between the two nations

BELGRADE, January 13. /TASS/. Republika Srpska (one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) entities) has awarded Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support for the Dayton Agreement thanks to which the creation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was made possible, Republika Srpska’s President Milorad Dodik said on Friday.

"We decorated Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, because he respects us and supports the international agreement (the Dayton Agreement — TASS) based on which Bosnia and Herzegovina was created. And how major European countries explain that at the peak of sanctions against Russia some of them even have an increased level of trade turnover with Russians? And still we are the bad guys while they are on the good side," the national television of Republika Srpska quoted Dodik as saying.

Earlier, President Dodik bestowed Republika Srpska’s highest award - the order of Republika Srpska — on Putin for strengthening cooperation between the two nations. The announcement was made on January 9 within the framework of the Republic Day celebrations in the Serb-majority entity and was criticized by the West.

On the same day in Brussels, Lead Spokesperson for EU External Affairs Peter Stano said that the EU condemned Dodik’s decision. He noted that the EU would determine its future moves and actions in light of this decision.

The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Dayton Agreement) was reached in Dayton in the US on November 1, 1995, and signed in Paris on December 14, 1995. In accordance with a constitution proposed in the Dayton Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina is made up of two primary entities: the Muslim-Croatian Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (51% of the territory) and Republika Srpska (49% of the territory), as well as of the Brcko District. Three main peoples - the Bosniaks (Slavs converted to Islam), the Serbs (Orthodox) and the Croatians (Catholics) — are represented proportionally in the government.

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