RS President Milorad Dodik, speaking to the entity radio, downplayed the ruling whereby the Hague war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentenced Krajisnik to 20 years' imprisonment for the persecution of non-Serbis during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The sentence was handed down because of "daily political goals," said Dodik.
Krajisnik "proved to be a tough politician and negotiator and in that sense is not only his role important, but also (the roles) of Biljana Plavsic, Radovan Karadzic and other political leaders from that time."
RS Parliament Speaker Igor Radojicic said Krajsnik had contributed a lot to the establishment of the entity and that "the people will remember him as the first and very capable (RS) parliament speaker."
The municipal authorities in Pale and the local committee of the Serb Democratic Party have organised a welcome ceremony for Krajisnik, who was released earlier today after serving two-thirds of his sentence in Great Britain.
Krajisnik has said he will rejoin his family in Pale.
SDS president Mladen Bosic openly invited him to rejoin the party.