The meeting with Pope Francis was impressive, Bosnia's Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik told N1 following the Vatican meeting with, as he said, “one of the greatest authorities.”
The Presidency Chairman met the Catholic Church leader in the company of Zeljka Cvijanovic, the President of Bosnia's Serb-majority entity, Republika Srpska, the region that Dodik represents in Bosnia's state institutions.
He was welcomed in the Vatican by the Pope's ceremonial guard.
“I am happy indeed with the way I was welcomed and with the topics we discussed,” said Dodik speaking for N1.
“The topics were related to Bosnia and Herzegovina's relations with the Vatican i.e. the Catholic Church. We spoke of the framework of the contract that Bosnia and Herzegovina has with the Catholic Church. Of course, also the topics that are universal, the need to organise the world and to secure peace and stability,” said the Presidency Chairman.
They agreed that the recent tragic events in New Zealand and Sri Lanka sent out horrible messages which destabilise the human community.
Dodik expressed the commitment of all levels of authority in Bosnia to stay devoted to the country's agreement with the Catholic Church. Also, he pointed out as bad the lack of a law on restitution, which currently hinders the implementation of that contract.
“I told him that Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to EU (European Union) integration and that we expect support in that,” he added.
According to Dodik, they also touched upon the slow implementation of election results in Bosnia concluding the will of people has not been implemented six months after the election.
“We talked about developments in Europe, the need for it to preserve its Christian character and that this can be an additional guarantee for its stability and prosperity,” he added.
Commenting on allegations that this visit was not done on behalf of the state Presidency, the Chairman replied that these statements were not important to him at this moment.
“I received an invitation and based on that I met the Pope and the Vatican's Secretary of the State. Procedures in the Presidency recognise such meetings,” said Dodik.
Pope Francis wished happy Easter to all Orthodox believers.
Bosnian news agencies reported that the Presidency Chairman brought a gift, Saint Sava Icon, to the Catholic Church leader, who in return gave Dodik three gifts including a joint statement that he signed earlier this year with the imam of Abu Dhabi's Al-Azhar Mosque.
“Since you come from Bosnia and Herzegovina, let me give you this,” said the Pope, handing over a paper called the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.
