President Stevandić attended the ceremonial opening of the Office of the Russian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, Dr. Nenad Stevandić, attended today in Banja Luka a solemn ceremony on the occasion of the opening of the Office of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The ceremony was attended by, among others: President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to BiH Igor Kalabuhov, Prime Minister Radovan Višković, Ministers in the Government of Srpska, President of the Council of Peoples Srebrenka Golić, representatives of Srpska in joint institutions, His Eminence Bishop Jefrem of Banja Luka and the President of the Academy for Science and Art of the Republic of Srpska Rajko Kuzmanović.

After striking up the Russian national anthem and raising the national flag on a six-meter-high mast, the Office was opened by Ambassador Kalabuhov and the President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik.

Ambassador Kalabuhov thanked the President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik and the leadership of Srpska for the initiative, strength, and creativity which, he said, are very much needed in these times.

"History is on our side. Today is a special historical day, we have the opportunity to attend a special event for which we have been preparing for a long time and waiting for it for a long time. I remember when I was not yet the ambassador here. I was dealing with other functions in the capacity of adviser to the ambassador, but even then I was dealing with the issues of opening the Russian diplomatic mission in Banja Luka. I am looking forward to this event and I think that everyone present is looking forward to it with us," said Kalabuhov in his address to the guests.

The President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik, said that the Russian Federation is a partner and politically like-minded Srpska, which sees the fair side of today's times and history in Russia.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, speaking via video link, said that the relations between the Republic of Srpska and Russia are on the rise and that contacts at the highest level and intensive political dialogue, including at the parliamentary level, are regularly maintained.

"I am glad to welcome you to the opening ceremony of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Banja Luka." First of all, I would like to congratulate my colleagues and our friends in the Republic of Srpska on this wonderful event. We have been working towards this goal for several years," Lavrov emphasized.

Lavrov thanked everyone who participated in the realization of this project.

With the opening of a new diplomatic representation of the Russian Federation, as a branch of the mother Embassy in Sarajevo, Russia will join the countries that already have their offices in Banja Luka. In May 2022, the Government of Russia accepted the proposal to open the Office of the Russian Embassy in the Republic of Srpska.