PRESIDENT BILJANA PLAVSIC, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA Promptly at 9 p.m., President Biljana Plavsic delivered an address on live television address via world satellite from Pale. Her speech, in its entirety, is translated below: Dear Brothers and Sisters, The four year war is behind us now. For the Serbian people it was an ancestral and defensive warfare. We suffered casualties, but there were no massive or planned genocide, thanks to the Serbian Democratic Party which led the people in this ancestral war for defense of bare survival. We are somewhat fortunate that in this war our casualties are not numbered in millions. However, the survivors, who did not forget Serbdom in most critical moments, are probably the most exhausted and depleted people in the world. 500,000 refugees from central Bosnia and from Republika of Srpska Krajina are the third of those people. The remaining two thirds share the very last bite of food, the last rag of clothing and the last square meter of space with them. The history will record nothing short of a miracle. Despite obstacles and tricks, it is amazing that the nation in such tragic circumstances found enough strength and motivation in the last elections to demonstrate overwhelming desire to preserve the Serbian state and to defend, one more time in peace, what it has accomplished during the war. This generation of Bosnian Serbs deserves full support from other Serbs throughout the world. Immense resources within our borders need to be exploited, the factories need to be reopened, damaged plants must be repaired. This rich statelet must be moved to start breathing. The people have retained confidence in themselves, in their leadership, and in you in diaspora. They are hungry but have not lost hope. They do believe in their future. This is the most religious part of the Serbian people. We have religious teachings in our schools. The people do believe in God and the future. It is God's will that these people be helped. The people with such virtues deserve help and must be helped. Republika Srpska has created a business climate for foreign investment. We expect that most of that investment should come from you, the Serbian diaspora. If the diaspora Serbs do not invest then why should the others. If such a support does not materialize, or if it is reduced to advice, opinions and messages, this embrion of Serbdom could conceivably be threatened because the degree of exhaustion is immense. I am asking myself, who is willing to assign this God's sin upon himself or herself. Only united Serbs throughout the world are capable of preserving Republika Srpska. I would like to convey my best wishes and salutes for a successful Seventh Annual Convention of the Serbian Unity Congress hopefully as the next President of Republika Srpska. 7th Convention, President's speech Copyright © 1996 Serbian Unity Congress All Rights Reserved.