By Talha Ozturk
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - The leader of Republika Srpska (RS), one of the two political entities making up Bosnia and Herzegovina, said on Sunday that the entity and Serbia will one day be one country.
"We are here from the RS and Serbia because we belong to one nation. One day, we will be one state. No one will prevent us from doing so because it is our right and our history. The last century was the century of Serb suffering, and this is the century of Serb unification," said Milorad Dodik.
His comments came at the commemoration event for the 700,000 victims of the Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization Ustasha regime in the Donja Gradina village at the Croatia border during World War II.
"Serbs cannot live without freedom and a state. The state is the keyword of our freedom. We want to make it clear that it is no illusion or threat when the RS expresses its will, the will of the people for the formation of its own state because we cannot live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which oppresses us and threatens our freedoms," said Dodik.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's top officials reacted strongly to Dodik's remarks.
Denis Becirovic, Bosniak member of the Presidential Council, said Dodik's "scandalous" statement is proof of the existence of the "Greater Serbia" project.
"He announced the existence of a plan aimed at presenting the RS as a state and uniting it with Serbia," said Becirovic.
The Croat member of the council, Zeljko Komsic, said Dodik was acting as usual.
"Today, he just clearly stated his purpose. That is to give a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia. We see that they did not give up on this," said Komsic.
Meanwhile, Bosnia's Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic invited Dodik to a paintball match.
"Let's have a 15-day paintball match with those who talk about conflict. Let's see how the nights go in the forests where others want to send their children," said Konakovic.
Dodik frequently makes statements about the Serb entity's serious intention of the independence of the region.