Autonomy ahead of EU membership, says Bosnian Serb leader

Nov 16, 2010, 1:11 GMT

   Sarajevo - Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik declared Monday that autonomy was more important to his people than European Union membership.

   'The Serb Republic will never give up its autonomy, not even at a price of not joining the EU,' Dodik said after he was sworn in as the new president of Bosnia's Serb Republic (Republika Srpska).

Under a peace deal brokered by the United States 15 years ago, Bosnia was divided into the ethnic entities of the Serb Republic and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina of Muslims and Croats.

Dodik, who served as prime minister of Republika Srpska over the past four years, was elected president on October 3.

   The entities enjoy a large degree of autonomy, including the power to veto legislation passed by central Bosnian institutions.

Bickering between the entities and the central authority have stalled the reforms needed for closer relations with the EU.

   A year ago, the US and the EU proposed a set of reforms to strengthen the central institutions at the expense of the entities.

Dodik has flatly rejected such measures and has threatened to push for the secession of the Serb Republic.