Yesterday, Banja Luka officially opened Diaspora Days, an event that brings together compatriots from different parts of the world, with the aim of strengthening ties with the homeland. The opening ceremony was also attended by the President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik.

President Milorad Dodik said that the Republic of Srpska offered good living conditions and that Srpska supported the return of its people from the diaspora.

– The goal is to support people who came from the diaspora and reach out to people who had gone far away, counting on the ability to arrange their lives better. We see that better conditions and circumstances are being created, that there are good living conditions in the Republic of Srpska – said Dodik in Banja Luka before the start of Diaspora Days.

He noted it was time to ‘start showing the good things in the Republic of Srpska,’ and certainly a good thing, he said, is that people are returning to their homeland.

– This is proof that everything the Republic of Srpska is doing and I am doing makes sense – said Dodik.

Dodik stated it was evident that ‘it is very difficult to do business in some Western countries, and here anyone who organizes a business can do it in a modern way.’

He stated that the West was no longer a place of success for everyone and that the Republic of Srpska supported the return of its people who were going through difficult trials there.

Dodik expressed his deep respect for those who had tried to live and work there, and then returned.

– Banja Luka is one of the safest regional cities, the Republic of Srpska is the same, our schools are functioning, children are safe – he stressed.

Dodik said that in Srpska it was not perfect, but it was good.

President Milorad Dodik added that it was time to start showing the good things in the Republic of Srpska.

– This is certainly a good thing, this is not a matter of some whim, this is a matter of high thinking and of these people who already had organized lives there, but emotion and patriotism drew them here to start anew; it is precisely they who are the most important for us, those who came here with their children, who make the greatest contribution to the Republic of Srpska and give meaning to everything that I and anyone else do – says Dodik.

Diaspora Days are being held in Banja Luka under the slogan Welcome Home, and the event has brought together the diaspora, returnees and domestic entrepreneurs.

This meeting is designed as an informative and networking event, intended for everyone who wants to share positive experiences of return and business, learn important information about life and work in the Republic of Srpska, and connect with other returnees and local entrepreneurs.

‘Today we will hear return success stories. Here we have many businessmen who, upon their return, decided to start businesses and employ people from their places,’ said Milica Jovičić from Diaspora Service before the start of Diaspora Days in Banja Luka.

She added this was a way of giving importance to people who had returned to the Republic of Srpska.

– Given that there has been a departing trend recently, there has been an arriving trend, and our goal is actually to somehow inform people who have returned in order to integrate them even better – she says.

She indicated that the language and culture further motivated individuals to return to Srpska.

Director of the Big Ben Education Center Ljiljana Svjetlanović said that in the past two years, many children in the diaspora had decided to learn Serbian.

‘Tonight, we have gathered to greet our people and the people in the diaspora who have decided to return to their Republic of Srpska,’ Svjetlanović said.

She said that all those attending Diaspora Days were given gift vouchers worth BAM 550 for children that could be used at the educational center for learning Serbian and English.

Source: NOVOSTI – RTRS – SRNA

Photo: Milorad Dodik