“Victory Day Is Our Shared Holiday”: Putin Welcomes Republika Srpska President

Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed the newly elected President of Republika Srpska, Sinisa Karan, to Moscow and expressed a commitment to elevating the centuries-old friendship and spiritual affinity between the two sides to new heights.

During a meeting held at the Kremlin on Friday on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Putin also addressed Speaker of the National Assembly Nenad Stevandic and President of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats Milorad Dodik, who were present alongside President Karan.

“Mr President, I welcome you to Moscow on your first visit as President of Republika Srpska,” Putin said. Recalling his regular and constructive cooperation with Dodik, he expressed pleasure that all the leaders present were like-minded.

Putin expressed appreciation that May 9 is also officially observed as Victory Day over Nazism in Republika Srpska. “This is our shared holiday. On this day, we honour the memory of those who, through immense sacrifice and at the cost of their own lives, defended the right to peace, freedom, and sovereignty,” he said.

The Russian President reaffirmed his commitment to continuing cooperation with Republika Srpska in the political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres. “Ties between Republika Srpska and Russia are based on centuries-old traditions of friendship and spiritual affinity between our peoples. We share a common vision of history and have converging approaches to the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Balkans, and in Europe,” Putin stated.

He noted that both sides stand united in advocating a more just world order and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation free from external interference in internal affairs. “The Serbian and Russian peoples have lived for centuries in special close relations and full mutual understanding,” Putin said at the conclusion of the meeting.