Why is Vučić silent on Dodik's separatism?

Mirza Kušljugić, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, told the Patria News Agency (NAP) that Milorad Dodik, the leader of Republika Srpska, used today's meeting with future Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade as his pre-election trick.

After the meeting with Vučić, Dodik used the press conference to say that the referendum in Crimea was a democratic expression of the people's will, adding that Republika Srpska follows all similar world experiences and will act on the best examples "when the time comes".

At the same time, Vučić only said that he supports the Dayton Agreement and that he cannot comment on the situation in Ukraine before being confirmed as prime minister.

However, many believe that Vučić is consciously allowing Dodik to use meetings with him to promote secessionist statements and attract attention, and is not preventing him from making inflammatory remarks in his presence.

Kušljugić, however, thinks differently, stating that the very fact that Dodik did not receive support from Vučić indicates that Serbia's policy towards BiH will remain the same as it has been so far.

- Serbia will support Dayton BiH, which consists of two entities, because this has been a continuity of the policy of both Vučić and Tadić, who had an exceptionally good relationship with Dodik. He never received support from Tadić, nor will he from Vučić – said Kušljugić. He explains that all analysts point out that Serbia's foreign policy in regional relations will strive to maintain the "status quo", and that Serbia will maximally dedicate itself to European integration.

- Serbia would dramatically damage the European Union's attitude towards itself if it supported Dodik in his intentions – Kušljugić told NAP.