Deputies in the National Assembly of Bosnia’s Serb dominated Republika Srpska (RS) entity adopted the Law on the Protection, Preservation and Use of the Language of the Serb People and the Cyrillic Script Wednesday, the goal of which is the protection and preservation of the Serbian language and Cyrillic script as intangible cultural heritage, Srna news agency said.

During the special session of the National Assembly, 70 deputies voted in favour of the law, two were against, and there were no abstentions.

According to the RS National Assembly “essential provisions of the Law will have a positive impact on culture because the adoption of the Law encourages not only the protection and preservation of the Serbian language and Cyrillic script as intangible cultural heritage but also ensures its transmission to future generations in its original form and dissemination of knowledge about its values.”

The law implies the obligation of all bodies, organizations and other legal entities to use a standardized form of the Cyrillic script in legal transactions, respecting its integrity and protecting its cultural value. ”

For those economic and other entities that will use the Cyrillic alphabet in their administrative operations, tax and other administrative reliefs may be established through regulations or special laws, states Article 9 of this Law.

The organizers of cultural events that are financed or co-financed from public funds are obliged to use the Cyrillic alphabet. This obligation refers to the fact that they must have the logo and the name of the event in the Cyrillic script.

For non-compliance with Article 8, the organization or other legal entity shall be fined from 1,000 Bosnian marks to 5,000 marks, as will the organizers of cultural or other events for violating Article 10 of the Law.

The Assembly of Serbia also adopted the Law on the Use of the Serbian Language in Public Life and the Protection and Preservation of the Cyrillic Script.

Serbia and the RS are marking the Day of Serb Unity, Freedom and the National Flag on Wednesday.