Statement by the Prime Minister of Republic of Srpska Radovan Višković on the occasion of the anniversary of the initialling of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH on November 21:

"On this great day in the history of these areas, we are celebrating 28 years since the signing of the Dayton Agreement which ended the hostilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Dayton Agreement is not only an agreement that stopped the war but also an act that established the Republic of Srpska as one of two equal entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina with strong elements of statehood and sovereignty. Srpska is committed to respect the Dayton Accords and the constitutional structure of BiH as it was adopted then and anything beyond that, is not acceptable.

After January 9, 1992, when the Assembly of the Serbian People proclaimed the Republic of the Serbian People in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the signing of the Dayton Agreement remains the most important document confirming our independence and autonomy within the administrative framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We proudly celebrate this great day when the Agreement was signed, confirming the sovereignty of the Republic of Srpska.

We must never forget that confirmation of our autonomy did not come by itself, but through the enormous sacrifice of the people and the political leadership that led them through those difficult and historically crucial times.

Today we also pay tribute to 28,000 soldiers and civilians who gave their lives for the Republic of Srpska during the Patriotic War.

We proudly cherish the memory of them, making an eternal vow that their sacrifice will never be forgotten or underevaluated under the pressure of those political forces that, even 28 years later, strive to achieve war goals, deny the essence of the Dayton Agreement and violate our rights".