MVP BiH: Dodik requested police escort in Croatia and that his security carry weapons

Regarding today's statements by the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik in which he claims that, unlike the member of the Presidency of BiH Mladen Ivanić and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Igor Crnadak, he does not need police protection when on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, that he did not request police protection and that his entourage does not travel armed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH is obliged to inform the public that this is not true, i.e. that the President of Republika Srpska did not tell the truth in today's statements.

- The Cabinet of the President of Republika Srpska sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH on 12.02.2018, through which the institutions of the Republic of Croatia were requested to "ensure an unobstructed crossing, as well as a police patrol and police escort with an escort" for the travel of the President of Republika Srpska, planned for 14.02.2018, at one of the border crossings with the Republic of Croatia. The same letter states that the entourage of the President of Republika Srpska travels armed, with precisely stated serial numbers of weapons, as well as the exact amount of accompanying ammunition. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH will not publish this data for security reasons.

It is further stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH sent a letter to the Embassy of BiH in Zagreb on the same day, with instructions that it be immediately forwarded to the competent institutions of the Republic of Croatia, which was done in a timely manner.

- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH currently does not have information on whether the request of the President of Republika Srpska was granted and in what way the institutions of the Republic of Croatia were involved in the realization of the aforementioned travel, and we invite interested media to inquire about this from the institutions of the Republic of Croatia.

Also, the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik confirmed today that during his second trip through the Republic of Croatia, on 15.02.2017, the official vehicle in which he was traveling was intercepted by the Police of the Republic of Croatia, because it was moving at an unauthorized speed of 200 km/h, and that a fine prescribed for such violations was paid on the spot.

On this occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH calls on all citizens of BiH to adhere to the applicable regulations when driving motor vehicles in other countries, and not to endanger the lives and property of other persons.