In September 2014, outspokenly pro-Russian Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, who supports RS independence from Bosnia, met with Kremlin officials a month ahead of the election. The Kremlin published a meeting summary detailing that Putin announced support for RS presidential candidate Milorad Dodik, and that Gazprom signed an agreement with RS to link the republic to the South Stream pipeline. The agreement bypassed official channels of the central government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.