'Dodik is not meeting with Pope on behalf of Bosnia's Presidency'

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The Chairman and Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite Presidency is to meet with Pope Francis on Friday, but his Bosniak colleague on Thursday stated that the visit is not organised by the Presidency.

“The visit of the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, to the Vatican is not being realised on behalf of Bosnia’s Presidency, as is being presented to part of the public,” the Cabinet of Bosniak Presidency member Sefik Dzaferovic said in a statement.

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It said that the Presidency never discussed the visit or “took any stance on it.”

“The stances which Milorad Dodik is expressing in the public are not the stances of Bosnia’s Presidency, and represent exclusively his personal opinion,” it said.

Dodik earlier said he and the Pope will meet as two presidents since the Vatican has certain influences in the global political sphere. He also said that he will speak to the Pope about the position of religious communities.