site.btaAnti-Serbian Campaign Waged in Pristina, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Says Serbian President Vucic

Speaking at a ceremony to mark Republika Srpska Day on January 9, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic claimed that a "vicious smear campaign is being waged against Serbia across the region, not only in Pristina and Zagreb, which it is used to, but also in Sarajevo and Podgorica". Republika Srpska Day was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015.

Vucic added that the government in Belgrade "understands well the new military alliance between Zagreb, Pristina and Tirana", describing it as "an alliance against the Serbian people" and urging Serbs not to be "fooled into thinking that this is news for a day or two".

"We also see a clear attempt by Zagreb to bring Podgorica under its total control and to enlist everyone in a general anti-Serb policy," he said in the presence of Milorad Dodik, the leader of the ruling coalition in Republika Srpska, and other official representatives of the Serbian community.

Addressing the people of Republika Srpska, he warned of "difficult years ahead", adding that "Serbia will do everything possible to preserve peace". According to Vucic, peace can only be preserved if Serbia is "a sufficient deterrent to all those who plan to threaten it in the future".

He also said that Republika Srpska can still count on Serbia's support and that Serbia will continue to assist all projects in this entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Under the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War (1992–1995), Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two semi-autonomous entities: Republika Srpska, which is mainly populated by Bosnian Serbs; and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is inhabited by Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) and Bosnian Croats. While each entity has its own government, parliament and police force, the two are linked through shared state-level institutions, including the judiciary, armed forces, security services and tax administration.

The Dayton Agreement also sets out the role of the High Representative, who has extensive powers, including the ability to enact legislation and dismiss officials.