MNA – President of the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, hailed the significant role of Iran in fighting terrorism in the region, saying his country welcomes expansion of ties with the Islamic Republic.

During a Monday meeting with Mahmoud Heidari, the Iranian ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Sarajevo, Dodik said the two countries share longstanding friendly ties and commonalities, calling for a greater focus on developing bilateral relations between the two countries.

Sarajevo welcomes any measure to boost cooperation with Tehran in different fields, he added.

The official also hailed Iran’s efforts in preserving peace and security in the region, saying that the Bosnian government and nation are well aware that if it was not for Iran's and Russia’s outstanding role in the fight against terrorism, ISIL’s defeat would have not been realized yet.