Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik has appointed former BIA Serbian Service chief Aleksandar Vulin as a member of the entity's Senate.
The decision stated that based on the Constitution of the Republika Srpska and the Law on the Senate, Vulin was appointed a senator of the Republika Srpska as of December 1.
The decision will be published in the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, N1 TV reported.
The Senate of Republika Srpska is an advisory body of the higher institutions of the RS. It has up to 55 members appointed by the President. Prominent figures from public, scientific and cultural life are appointed as members for a period of seven years, with the possibility of a second term. The competences of the senators include consideration of issues of particular importance for the political, national, economic and cultural development of the Republika Srpska and giving opinions to the highest constitutional bodies in a number of areas.
BGNES reminds that Aleksandar Vulin is the right-hand man of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and is considered the main conduit of Russian interests in the Balkans. He resigned from his previous post on November 3.
On July 11 of this year, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Vulin on charges of corruption, ties to Russia, and arms and drug trafficking. Vucic's staunchest ally said that "the US and the EU want his head as a precondition not to impose sanctions on Serbia."
Milorad Dodik, who also maintains very close ties with Belgrade and Moscow, openly states that he wants to separate the Bosnian Serb territories from the rest of Bosnia and participate in the creation of a "Greater Serbia".
On the 28th anniversary of the signing of the peace accord at the end of November, Dodik said Bosnia's fate would be sealed with a "peaceful division".
"The process has started. The train has left the station and there is no turning back, this is final," he noted. Dodik and his children are on the US "black list" for obstructing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, separatist actions, corruption for personal gain, etc. /BGNES
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