At a reception on the occasion of the Republika Srpska Day and marking 24 years since the promulgation of the first Srpska Constitution that took place on Sunday in Belgrade, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia wished Republika Srpska to progress on the foundations it set and to justify aspirations of the entire Serb people and in particular the people in Republika Srpska.He has pointed out that this date is grand and important, not only for Republika Srpska, but also for the Serbs in general and Serbia.
“This is a day when we remember the important date when Republika Srpska was created and with a help of God, survived, the day when its existence was based on the law, on the Constitution,” said Patriarch Irinej at the reception organised by the Srpska Representative Office in Belgrade, in the presence of numerous guests from Srpska and Serbia, including the presidents Milorad Dodik and Tomislav Nikolic.
He has pointed out that Republika Srpska was created by God’s blessing and the will of the majority Serb people based on law and justice.
“We would like Srpska to resist all temptations and challenges, to rest on the law and justice of not only the Serb people but on the right of all people who live there and enjoy the same rights as the majority Serb people, because Srpska respects national minorities and their customs and right to existence” said Patriarch Irinej at a ceremony held in the Old Palace building in the Belgrade City Hall.
He recalled that the Serbian statehood, throughout its history, from the Emperor Dusan to this day, has regulated its life and the life of its people by the Constitution and the regulations that God blessed and accepted by the people.
Serbian Patriarch said that Republika Srpska was created through many victims of those who fought for its place under the sun and the preservation of history and culture.
“We send the blessing of God to both Republika Srpska and the people who live there, praying to the Lord that it will be always followed by the hand of God and the blessing of the Lord. Long live Republika Srpska!” said Patriarch Irinej.
Director of the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Serbia, Mladjen Cicovic, stressed that respect for the international legal documents, agreements and treaties is the first and highest requirement for life in a spirit of cooperation and peace among the peoples and states, as each agreement made either within a family or among the neighbors reflects an honorable and decent life and work.
He presented the book about Republika Srpska, its creation and duration, and the original text of the Dayton Peace Agreement, to the reception guests.
“By publishing this important document of international law in both Serbian and English languages in one book, we would like to provide the public and as big number of readers as possible with the original, signed the Dayton Agreement, and show how clear and easy to understand is the text, that broke and keeps breaking a rhetorical spears between those who advocate a `spirit of Dayton` and us, whose position is to preserve `a letter of Dayton`,” said Cicovic.
The reception, which was organised by the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Serbia on the occasion of the Republika Srpska Day and marking 24 years since the promulgation of the first Srpska Constitution, was attended by the speakers of the National Assembles of Republika Srpska and Serbia, Nedeljko Cubrilovic and Maja Gojkovic, and the ministers in the governments of Republika Srpska and Serbia.
The ceremony was also attended by Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Aleksandar Chepurin, Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Ljubisa Dikovic, and representatives of the diplomatic corps and many distinguished individuals from the world of politics, economy, science, culture and art in Serbia and Republika Srpska.
The reception was opened with national anthems of Republika Srpska “Moja Republika (My Republic)” and Serbia “God of Justice (Boze Pravde)”, which Aneta Makanjic, an opera singer, performed. She performed the famous song composed by Prince Mihailo Obrenovic, “Sto se bore misli moje,” and then “This is Serbia (Ovo je Srbija)” by Nikola Grbic.
Serbian actress Biljana Djurovic and Philharmonic Octet Banjaluka participated in the ceremonial part of the programme.
This is the second reception on the occasion of the Republika Srpska Day, which is organised by the Republika Srpska Representative Office in Serbia.
Source: SRNA