The Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to the United Nations (UN), Zlatko Lagumdzija, assessed that the year coming to an end was the most dramatic and most pivotal for BiH since the signing of the Dayton Agreement. Speaking from UN headquarters in New York, Lagumdzija emphasized that it was precisely at the UN that the key international processes related to the stability of the state and the region were decided.
“This was the most dramatic year from Dayton until today. Here, in this building, at the place where the Srebrenica Flower monument also stands, everything that was happening both in the region and in BiH came to a head,” Lagumdzija said.
According to him, it was a year in which attempts at secession of part of BiH culminated, with strong support from foreign actors.
“We had open, final attempts at secession that Milorad Dodik carried out under the direct supervision of a foreign factor. These were attempts to obtain political, logistical, and every other kind of support, even here at the UN.”
There will be no war: “That question has been taken off the agenda”
Lagumdzija particularly stressed that the most frequent question citizens and international interlocutors asked him over the past year was – Will there be war? To that question, he says, there is now a clear answer.
“I can freely say that the question has been taken off the agenda. Behind us is a year of a final attempt at the secession of part of BiH, and that is a closed book.”
He adds that the international community in the UN Security Council has repeatedly made it clear that the time has come to stop the undermining of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
“This was not just an attempt to undermine Dayton; it was an attempt to undermine peace in the region. It would have ended tragically not only for those who initiated it, but also for a large number of people in BiH and beyond.”
The Resolution and the Srebrenica monument as the end of illusions about divisions
Speaking about the adoption of the Resolution on Srebrenica and the installation of the monument at UN headquarters, Lagumdzija emphasized that these processes were carried out despite strong pressure and threats.
“At the time the resolution was adopted and the monument installed, we were constantly intimidated that we would provoke conflicts. They said that marking the 30th anniversary of the genocide leads to destabilization. We clearly said that conflicts are projected by those who advocate secession.”
He adds that it was precisely these processes that marked the symbolic end of the project to break up BiH.
“The Resolution was adopted, the monument was installed, and it is a monument of remembrance, but also a monument to the end of dreams of breaking up BiH. A monument to that project was placed here. It no longer exists.”
The West is clear: no divisions, no secession
Lagumdzija believes that intensive diplomatic lobbying over the year yielded a clear result regarding the West’s stance toward BiH.
“The West is perfectly clear. The American plan for the Western Balkans is very precise – it is a nail in the coffin of projects of divisions and secessions.”
As Lagumdzija pointed out, messages coming from the United States (U.S.) indicate growing concern over policies that distance the country from the West.
“Becirovic clearly conveyed from Washington that in U.S. circles there is increasingly less understanding for anti-Western moves and blockades coming from BiH,” Lagumdzija said, stressing that a clear commitment to the European and Euro-Atlantic course is expected.
According to him, the West’s message is stability, the rule of law, and the fight against corruption, along with readiness for serious investments.
“There are no wars, forget that. The rule of law, the fight against corruption, and serious investments – that is the path being offered.”
Southern Interconnection: more than an energy project
Speaking about the Southern Gas Interconnection project, Lagumdzija emphasized that it is a project that far exceeds economic significance.
“It is not just a project worth a billion dollars. It has enormous geopolitical, strategic, and integration value, both for BiH and for the entire region.”
He pointed out that this project opens the door to other investments as well, especially in renewable energy sources.
“The Southern Interconnection can be a kind of bulldozer, a beacon for new projects – solar energy, wind farms, energy transition, and stronger U.S. and European presence in BiH.”
U.S. interests and citizens’ fears
Asked about citizens’ fears that BiH could be “left empty-handed” because of U.S. economic interests, Lagumdzija responds that this is a mistaken perception.
“The U.S. will earn money, but so will we. We will get safer and cheaper energy, investments, and new jobs. The only things we will be left without are the wind and the sun, which today are anyway being wasted unused.”
He adds that global assessments of security risks are additional proof of BiH’s stability.
“In analyses that identify the 30 biggest security threats in the world, there is neither BiH nor the Western Balkans. That is an important message.”
The U.S. law on the Western Balkans and a message to the region
He particularly highlighted the importance of the U.S. foreign policy law relating to the Western Balkans.
“That document clearly confirms support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the countries of the Western Balkans, the rule of law, and the fight against corruption. This is a great success of our diplomacy.”
Commenting on statements by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Lagumdzija was extremely direct.
“Proclaiming as their victory the fact that the Resolution on Srebrenica was adopted and that the monument was installed at the UN is the same as when they claim they won the Battle of Kosovo. Until mythomania is abandoned, there will be no progress.”
Looking toward the election year 2026
Speaking about the year ahead, Lagumdzija expressed moderate optimism, but also a clear political message. He stressed the need to calm all three currents of national policies and strengthen democratic forces.
“The key battle will be the election of members of the Presidency of BiH. It is necessary to bring together democratic forces around a joint candidate for a member of the Presidency of BiH, and I sincerely hope that Denis Becirovic will accept that role. I also believe that the opposition in Republika Srpska (RS) can consolidate and stand up to Dodik, as well as that the influence of the HDZ will decrease, which harms both Croats and all other citizens,” Lagumdzija concluded.
