Republika_Srpska%E2%80%93Serbia_relations
Republika Srpska–Serbia relations
Bilateral relations
Republika Srpska–Serbia relations are the foreign relations between Republika Srpska, one of the two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. Republika Srpska has an office of representation in Belgrade[1] and Serbia has a consulate-general in Banja Luka.[2] Serbia and Republika Srpska have signed an Agreement on Special Parallel Relations.
The beginnings of formal cooperation can be traced to the Bosnian War; Republika Srpska got support from Serbia.[3] At the Dayton Agreement, the President of the Republic of Serbia Slobodan Milošević represented the Bosnian Serb interests due to the absence of Radovan Karadžić. The Dayton Agreement ensures the right for entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to establish special parallel relationships with neighboring countries consistent with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. An agreement on Special Parallel Relations was signed on February 28, 1997. The Agreement was implemented on December 15, 2010.[4] Until now, a significant number of formal and informal meetings between representatives of both sides have been organized.
On July 26, 2010, the Serbian Minister of Finance, Diana Dragutinović and her Republika Srpska counterpart Aleksandar Džombić, both signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the Financial Sector, which will further develop mutual relations in the financial system. It will bolster the already good cooperation between both regions, helping to maintain special parallel relations and to enable the exchange of experience, and also to discuss other sections. The working groups will convene at least twice a year.[5]