The Representative Office of the Republic of Srpska in Germany organized a panel in Stuttgart entitled The Dayton Peace Agreement – 30 Years after: Between Peace, Sovereignty and European Integration. The panel was attended by the Minister of European Integration and International Cooperation of the Republic of Srpska, Zlatan Klokić.

Minister Klokić said it was very relevant to discuss the importance of the Dayton agreement 30 years later, and what it had brought to the Republic of Srpska, noting that these were international recognition and clearly defined competencies. Minister Klokić stated that the European integration process had to remain in line with the constitutional framework established by the Dayton Agreement, and recalled the numerous violations of the original Dayton under the influence of foreign factors. He said that new competencies had been defined at BiH level that had not been defined in the Constitution, as underscored by Srpska’s representatives. He adds that the Republic of Srpska supports the European path, noting the necessity of dialogue, compromise and respect for the Constitution for progress towards the EU.

The Head of the Representation in Germany, Mićo Ćetković, said that the Republic of Srpska had been stripped of numerous constitutional competencies, which had undermined seriously the Dayton order. He says that the celebration of three decades of this agreement represents an important opportunity to reaffirm its importance as a foundation of peace and institutional order. He stated that the Dayton Agreement was not only a document that had stopped the war, but also a framework that had enabled the development of democratic processes and the path to European integration, and that it was of crucial importance to have its principles consistently respected in order to preserve stability as a prerequisite for any progress. Ćetković thanked especially the students from the Republic of Srpska studying in Germany for their attendance, noting that they were an important bridge of cooperation, knowledge and future partnerships.

The panel discussion was also attended by international expert and former Bundestag member Stefan Kaufmann, professor of international relations Dragomir Vuković, and professor at the Banja Luka Faculty of Law Vitomir Popović, who all made a significant contribution to the discussion. The program also featured a short video recapping the history of the Dayton Agreement, a keynote address by Kaufmann, a panel discussion, and a part intended for questions from the audience.

The panel, which was held in the premises of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economy, brought together representatives of the academic community, diplomacy, institutions, business organizations, as well as numerous members of the diaspora, including students from the Republic of Srpska studying in Germany. The participants concluded jointly that peace, dialogue, constitutional consistency and respect for diversity were key for the stability and successful European path of BiH and Republic of Srpska in the years to come. The great interest of the audience exceeded the capacity of the hall, which speaks best of the importance of the topic and the need to continue discussing the preservation of the original principles of Dayton.

Source: Ministry of European Integration and International Cooperation – RTRS

Photo: Ministry of European Integration and International Cooperation