The Declaration adopted at the All-Serbian Assembly on 8 June 2024 in Belgrade confirmed the unity of the Serbian people and laid the foundation for even stronger cooperation between the Republic of Srpska and Serbia in all areas of national importance, said the head of the Republic of Srpska Representative Office in Belgrade, Mlađan Cicović.

On the occasion of the second anniversary of the Declaration on the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People, Cicović said that the document’s value was not only in its political messages, but also in the fact that it strengthened further the national unity of the Serbian people. He noted that for Serbs in the Republic of Srpska, but also throughout BiH, such clearly expressed unity offered additional strength and security in efforts to preserve the rights guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement, the competences of the Republic of Srpska and the right to preserve national identity.

He said that today’s relations between the Republic of Srpska and Serbia were at the highest level in recent history, and that regular communication and cooperation of institutions, joint action on many issues of national importance and the implementation of projects showed that this cooperation was not declarative, but meaningful and concrete. He also stated that the common cultural, educational and spiritual space of the Serbian people had been strengthened further, and that significant steps had been taken in the field of preserving the Serbian language and Cyrillic script as fundamental determinants of the identity of Serbs.

Cicović noted that joint marking of the most important dates in Serbian history had continued, and the culture of remembrance had gained a more significant place in public and institutional life on both sides of the Drina. – Particular importance lies in joint celebration of the Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom and National Flag, which has become one of the most visible symbols of the unity and connectedness of the Serbian people – said Cicović. He also noted that work had continued on harmonizing educational content and developing a common approach to the national group of subjects in primary and secondary schools, to enable new generations to acquire knowledge about their identity, history, culture and tradition on a unified basis.

The Declaration on the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People, promulgated at the first All-Serbian Assembly, states that the Serbian people represent a single entity and that throughout history they have had several states with different names, and claim the right to inherit their rich tradition. The institutions of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska are recommended to act in a unified and coordinated manner and to make efforts to stop the assimilation of Serbs in the countries of the region, but also throughout the world, and the Assembly recognizes the Serbian Orthodox Church as one of the pillars of the national, cultural and spiritual identity of the Serbian people.

Source: RTRS – SRNA

Photo: Republic of Srpska Representative Office in Serbia