NEWS AND EVENTS - Friday, June 30, 2017
SRPSKA REPUBLIKA DELEGATION IN CANADA
Српски
Zeljka Cvijanovic, Prime Minister for Republika Srpska, during her visit to Canada, spoke with His Grace Bishop Mitrophan of Canada in Milton.
The government wishes that the diaspora be more active in the political and economic trends in Republika Srpska, said Cvijanovic, who spoke with the bishop about collaboration with the Serbian diaspora on the current situation in Srpska Republika.
The meeting between the President of the government of Republika Srpska and Bishop Mitrophan was the begining of the first official visit of the President of the government of Republika Srpska to Canda.
“After all the visits and those good connections which we have in America it is not accidental that we choose this particular region – Toronto, Hamilton and Milton, because there is a large concentration of our population, the largest number of people who came specifically from Republika Srpska,“ said Cvijanovic.
This long awaited visit brought many topics to the table. Discussions about economic and cultural collaboration, the possiblity of presenting the positions of Republika Srpska in Canada and strengthening the ties between the Canadian diaspora and Republika Srpska, the President of the Government of Republika Srpska stressed that keeping institutional ties with the diaspora is one of the duties of Republika Srpska and that this visit to Canada is only the first of many visits.
“It is very important that we show that they are important for the substance of Republika Srpska, wherever they might live, that they are beside us who live in Republika Srpska, that they maintain good relations with all of our people who live outside Republika Srpska,“ said Cvijanovic.
She noted that RS will continue in the future organizing visits to Canada.
“We have some plans of how to place ourselves through institutions right in these regions where a large concentration of our people live. Whether it will be through representative offices or certain representatives who will do create these ties between Republika Srpska and the diaspora, remains to be seen in the following months,“ said Cvijanovic.
Bishop Mitrophan of Canada informed the President of the work of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Canada and the many activities which have as their goal the maintaining of ties with the Serbian people in Republika Srpska in Serbia.
"My message to them is to be united, to preserve their faith, their language, traditions and not to forget and who and what they are, regardless of what political party them may belong to, unity of Republika Srpska is in everyone's interest. That is the most important,“ said Bishop Mitrophan.
The Diocese of Canada has often assisted the citizens of RS, through, among other things, organizing humanitarian events for the help of citizens affected by the floods in 2014. The message of Bishop Mitrophan to the citizens of Republika Srpska but also to the Republic of Serbia is clear and not ambigious. The Serbian people in Canada will always support Republika Srpska, but the citizens of RS also have the obligation of preserving their identity.
A firm collaboration between Republika Srpska and the Serbian diaspora in Canada implies an intensified presence of Republika Srpska in these regions. There are initiatives on both sides.
According to rough estimates there are some 300,000 people of Serbian descent living in Canada. Many of them are from Republika Srpska. The largest concentration of very successful Serbian businessmen is in Ontario where “Serbian Days“ will be hosted.
Source: RTRS
