Central ceremony on occasion of April 4th – the Republic of Srpska Police Day and 30th anniversary of the RS MoI
| Banja Luka | Monday, 04/04/2022
”The Republic of Srpska Ministry of Interior has enormous strength and it is capable to handle all possible tasks and challenges. The Republic of Srpska Police is ready, trained and equipped to face all threats and challenges, with the aim of protecting the security of the Republic of Srpska citizens and their property, since we are the primary guarantee of the RS security“, said the Republic of Srpska Minister of Interior, Mr Dragan Lukač.
During his address at the central ceremony on occasion of celebrating the April 4th – Police Day and the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Srpska Ministry of Interior, which was held at the Training Centre, the Minister pointed out that the Ministry would continue to develop, train and equip the Srpska Police, adding that 2000 young police officers underwent police education over the past eight years.
”Our mission is to maintain peace in this country, provide security at all levels, and guarantee safety to all the citizens, tourists and visitors in the Republic of Srpska. The Republic of Srpska Police shall maintain its course and preserve peace and stability in the Republic of Srpska and BiH,” the Minister concluded.
The Serbian Minister of Defence, Mr Nebojša Stefanović, pointed out that the Republic of Srpska Police has always been dedicated to preserving peace and freedom. He remembered all the people who gave their lives for the Republic of Srpska, emphasizing that we should always remember them and their families. The Minister added that the members of the RS MoI were exceptional people, dedicated to the security of citizens and everyday fight against organized crime and corruption.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska Government, Mr Radovan Višković, said that on the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Srpska Ministry of the Interior we must remember the 782 members of the Ministry who lost their lives in defending the Republic of Srpska. He emphasized that all members of the Ministry represented the guarantee of security and stability in Srpska.
”Countries such as the Republic of Srpska, which does not have its own armed forces, must place their focus on the Ministry of Interior and it should be the pillar of security in the future period. Our intention is to make Republic of Srpska safe and secure not only for Serbs living here, but also for other nations in the Republic of Srpska – to provide safe environment and free disposal of their property,” Višković said.
Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Mr Milorad Dodik, said that the Republic of Srpska must maintain peace, and in order to have stable peace, we must have strong police. ”People trust our Police, the same way they believe in the Republic of Srpska. You cannot separate these two and we will continue to build Srpska with love, and strengthen the Police as well,” added Dodik.
He said that security is the same for all people, regardless of their nation or religion. ”I am glad that the Republic of Srpska Police is involved in many regional operations focused on organized crime in the region. The Republic of Srpska Police shows great professionalism in its work, making it the best law enforcement agency on the territory of BiH,” Dodik pointed out.
The Republic of Srpska President, Ms Željka Cvijanović, stated that the RS MoI should be proud of its achievements and numerous international operations in which they participated and proved themselves as an important link.
”Out of these 30 years, we have celebrated 26 years in peace and freedom and for that we must be grateful to all the police officers who gave their lives and together with the RS Army, suffered the greatest burden of the war, trying to defend the freedom we enjoy today,” Ms Cvijanović said.
After the ceremony, the guests had the opportunity to see the exhibition of police aids, equipment and weapons of the police officers of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit, Gendarmerie and Uniformed Police, and for the first time the police presented the new prototype of Vihor armoured vehicle, developed by the TRB Company from Bratunac.
The guests also visited the facilities of the Police Academy which are under construction, and after that the members of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit and the Gendarmerie showed their skills while performing the demonstration exercise with the assistance of Despot vehicles and helicopters.
The ceremony was attended by the RS Minister of Interior Dragan Lukač, RS Police Director Siniša Kostrešević, RS President Željka Cvijanović, RS Prime Minister Radovan Višković, Serb member of the BiH Presidency Milorad Dodik, Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Zoran Tegeltija, Serbian Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, ministers in the RS Government, representatives of RS on BiH level, representatives of cities in municipalities in the Republic of Srpska, representatives of law enforcement agencies from Montenegro and Northern Macedonia and the Director of BiH Border Police Zoran Galić.
