Proposed secession of Republika Srpska

The Serb Republic (RS) is the Serb entity in BiH, the other being the Muslim-Croat Federation (FBiH).

Dodik, a former president of the Serb entity in BiH, the Serb Republic (RS), expressed "gratitude and satisfaction with the desire, determination and intention of Serbia and President Aleksandar Vucic to continuously assist citizens and municipalities of the RS."

BIRN BiH investigated the operations of the Republika Srpska branch, its members and their political connections.

In his first television appearance on Wednesday evening since he went into hiding on December 30, Davor Dragicevic accused the authorities in Republika Srpska of seeking to kill him, after daily protests over the death of his 21-year-old son sparked widespread public anger in Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity.

Dodik also said that peace must be preserved, while people must be given the opportunity to decide.

"The Serb Republic (RS) and I will follow what is Belgrade's position," Dodik said in Brussels.

The OHR, the international institution overseeing peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Thursday condemned an initiative by the leading Bosniak party, the Party of Democratic Action, SDA, to challenge the name of the country's mainly Serbian entity, Republika Srpska .

Dodik is a former president of the RS - the Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) - the other being the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina (FBiH).

Dodik, the chairman of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency, also assessed that Putin's visit to Serbia on Thursday will be "a clear symbol and message of peace, friendship and support for Serbia and the Serb people as a whole."

A parade of police officers, firefighters, civil protection force members and Russian bikers was held in Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity Republika Srpska to mark its disputed ‘statehood’ day, again sparking condemnation from Bosniaks.