OREANDA-NEWS.  Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov on December 18 met with Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska (RS), Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Questions of further development of cooperation with the Serb entity in BiH were examined. In this context, the sides expressed satisfaction with the commissioning in the RS on November 27 of a large oil refinery owned by Russian company Zarubezhneft and with the successful course of the discussion of other economic projects.

Special attention was paid to the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sides emphasized the necessity of strictly complying with the Dayton Peace Agreement, which remains the basis of peace and stability in the country, including BiH’s entities established within its scope of authority, and noted the importance of consistently implementing the line on transferring responsibility for the destiny of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Bosnian peoples themselves. In this connection they reaffirmed their position in favor of winding down the Office of the High Representative in BiH early and converting it into the EU Special Representative’s Mission.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska also exchanged views on the situation in the Balkans.