The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, participated on September 4, 2026 in Dublin at the informal meeting of ministers for European affairs, held within the framework of the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union. The meeting brought together the ministers of EU member states and candidate and potential candidate countries, and was dedicated to speeding up the accession process, supporting reforms and strengthening administrative capacities.
Minister Konaković emphasized that enlargement is no longer just a matter of accession policy, but a strategic and security need for Europe. The Russian aggression against Ukraine showed that the political and security vacuums in Europe do not remain empty. Every hesitation opens up additional space for destabilization, malignant influence and the action of forces that correspond to the divided and unstable Western Balkans.
Speaking about the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he pointed out that our country has shown that it can achieve results when there is a clear European goal. Reforms that had been blocked for years were adopted in a short period of time, which opened the way for the historic decision to start accession negotiations. A credible European perspective strengthens the forces of reform, gives purpose to political compromise and narrows the space for actors who build their power on blockades, fear and constant instigation of crises.
He also pointed to the need to address the position of professional carriers from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the context of the Schengen rules of residence and the application of the entry and exit system (EES). He emphasized that it is necessary to find a practical and sustainable solution that will respect the specific nature of their work, preserve the smooth flow of goods and trade with the European Union, and at the same time respect all border and security standards.
Minister Konaković warned that the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be reduced to relations between Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats. At its core is a geopolitical struggle between the construction of a functional European state and policies that want to keep Bosnia and Herzegovina institutionally weak, divided and subject to external influences. Secessionism, attacks on the constitutional order and systematic relativization of war crimes are part of the same policy that maintains divisions, weakens institutions and stops the country’s European path. In this context, sending off Ratko Mladić with honors in Serbia represents much more than attitudes towards the past. Honoring the legally convicted war criminal responsible for the genocide in Srebrenica sends a message that the judgments of international courts can be ignored, that crimes can be turned into political capital and that the glorification of their perpetrators still has a place in the public and political space of a country that is a candidate for membership in the European Union. Such messages directly threaten trust, stability and the European future of the entire region.
Minister Konaković called on the European Union to answer clearly and without relativization. Silence in the face of the glorification of war criminals weakens the credibility of European politics and encourages forces that build their political influence on the denial of genocide and the renewal of war narratives. Membership in the European Union cannot be just a technical process or a matter of adopting laws. It implies acceptance of the facts determined by the court, respect for the victims and a real break with the policies that led the region to war and genocide.
He emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not looking for shortcuts or lowering the criteria and that it is ready to take full responsibility for the implementation of reforms. At the same time, he pointed to the responsibility of the European Union to preserve the credibility of the process and to respond to the concrete results of the candidate countries with concrete progress towards membership.
Minister Konaković warned that there is no geopolitical calm in the Western Balkans and that every stoppage on the European path opens up space for other interests and malignant influences. He assessed the acceleration of the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the rest of the region as crucial for the security of the entire continent, the preservation of peace and the completion of the European project. Bosnia and Herzegovina has clearly chosen the European path and is ready to assume its share of responsibility so that membership in the European Union becomes a realistic and achievable future.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Konaković met with the host, Irish Minister of State for European Affairs and Defense Thomas Byrne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Development Cooperation of Belgium Maxime Prévot, French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad and German Minister of State for Europe Günter Krichbaum. We remind you that Ministers Haddad and Krichbaum stayed together in Sarajevo in June of this year, when Minister Konaković met with them.
