President of the Republika Srpska (RS), Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity, Milorad Dodik said he maintained his stance about this century as a period of statehood affirmation of Serb national interests, contrary to the last century’s losses and suffering.

“I wish that our goal of uniting was the consensus of overall Serb statehood and political elite, but only in a peaceful manner and through an agreement. Because nothing makes sense without peace,” said Dodik in an interview for Belgrade daily newspaper Politika.

Bosnia has been divided into two semi-autonomous entities since the end of the 1990s conflict, one dominated by Serbs and the other shared by Bosniaks and Croats – three constituent peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For years, Dodik has been advocating the Bosnian Serbs’ wartime goal of seceding the RS from Bosnia and continuously obstructing any effort of uniting the coutnry.

According to Dodik, being a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina has no use. “Why do we need a country that serves only to block us?,” he added.

Speaking of his candidacy for the post of the Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency in the upcoming general election, Dodik said that possible relocation to Sarajevo, which is Bosnia’s capital city, did not mean a change in his policies.

“I am going to Sarajevo to strengthen the role of the RS, there will be no calculations in my standpoints. Everything I will be doing will be guided by interests of the RS and Serb people,” said Dodik.