Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska Savo Minić attended the opening cermony of the European Rafting Championship "Banja Luka - Vrbas 2026" that took place in Banja Luka tonight.

In his speech during the ceremony, the Prime Minister said that rafting was the best example of how good organization and harmony can overcome the wilderness of the Vrbas river and how it shows that it was possible to solve any problem.

"I am convinced that Banja Luka and the Republic of Srpska will be an excellent host to the best European rafting teams in the coming days, proving that we are capable of organizing major sports competitions. The competitions that are behind us show that we have the capacity to host such sports events and will always be available to organize such events wishing all participants the bets of luck and the championship to run safely", the Prime Minister said.

President of the Rafting Club "Kanjon" Aleksandar Pastir stated that with the organization of four European and three World Rafting Championships, Banja Luka has proven to be No. One rafting destination in the world and thanked the Government of Republic of Srpska, the City of Banja Luka and all institutions that supported the organization of this competition.

Banja Luka will host 38 rafting teams from 15 European national teams until Saturday, May 30th, and will once again confirm its place on the map of top sporting events.