President of Republika Srpska (Entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Milorad Dodik honored Russian President Vladimir Putin with the highest award of the republic – the Order of the Republika Srpska with a chain – for his special patriotic care and love for the Republika Srpska and contribution to strengthening Russian-Serbian cooperation. This was reported on Sunday by the RTRS TV channel.
Russian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Igor Kalabukhov expressed gratitude on behalf of Putin for the honor. “This award is a confirmation of the strategic nature of relations aimed at strengthening the friendship of our fraternal peoples,” the Russian diplomat stressed. The order will be presented to the Russian president at the first official meeting of the two leaders.
“I am proud, glad and happy that on the occasion of Republic Day and on behalf of Republika Srpska, its institutions and citizens, I award orders and awards to the friends of the Republic and express my deepest respect to them,” Dodik said.
The award ceremony took place as part of the celebration of the Republika Srpska Day, celebrated on January 9. On Sunday, Republika Srpska celebrates the 31st anniversary of its formation. On January 9, 1992, the first meeting of the Parliament of the Serbian people of Bosnia and Herzegovina took place. In 2016, the Muslim part of the country tried to ban the celebration, after which the leadership of the Republika Srpska put the issue to a referendum. According to its results, the absolute majority of Bosnian Serbs supported the celebration of Republika Srpska Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of the Muslim-Croatian Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (51% of the country’s territory) and the Republika Srpska (49% of the territory), as well as the Brcko district. Three main peoples are proportionally represented in the system of state administration: Bosniaks (Slavs who converted to Islam), Serbs (Orthodox) and Croats (Catholics). The functions of the head of State are performed by a collective body – the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It consists of three people: a Serb, a Croat and a Bosniak, elected simultaneously for four years by direct vote.
Source: https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/16755529
