The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, met today with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, who is on a two-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the process of European integration, reform priorities and the role of the European Union in preserving the stability and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region.
Minister Konaković thanked High Representative Kallas for the strong engagement of the European Union and her personal dedication to Bosnia and Herzegovina, assessing that her visit represents an important political signal of continued support for the European perspective of our country. He emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina remains firmly committed to membership in the European Union and that the reform process must remain a joint priority of domestic institutions and European partners.
He also pointed out that Bosnia and Herzegovina remains fully aligned with the common foreign and security policy of the European Union, thereby confirming its clear European orientation and commitment to common European values and priorities.
Special attention during the talks was devoted to preserving the political stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the role of the international community in protecting the Dayton Peace Agreement and the constitutional order. Minister Konaković pointed out that functional institutions and political stability are inseparable from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path, which is why preserving the full mandate of the Office of the High Representative remains of key importance. He emphasized that he believes that Bonn powers should be used only when necessary, but that their very existence represents an important preventive mechanism that deters attempts to undermine institutions, endanger the constitutional order and destabilize the country, until the 5+2 conditions are met.
Speaking about the election of a new high representative, Minister Konaković pointed out that Bosnia and Herzegovina needs a person who understands its specificities and the complexity of the political system, consistently protects the Dayton Peace Agreement and the institutions of the state, and with his actions contributes to political dialogue, the smooth operation of institutions and the creation of an environment in which reforms and European integration will be in focus, instead of political and institutional blockades.
Minister Konaković warned that Bosnia and Herzegovina is continuously suffering serious political obstructions on this path. He pointed out that Milorad Dodik and the SNSD, under Putin’s control, with their secessionist activities and blockades of state institutions represent the biggest obstacle to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path. He assessed that such policies directly undermine the reform process, threaten political stability and objectively support the efforts of the Russian Federation to slow down the process of European Union expansion and weaken its influence in the Western Balkans.
High Representative Kallas confirmed the European Union’s firm commitment to preserving the sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stressing that the European Union remains a reliable partner of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the process of European integration. She pointed out that the European Union will continue to provide full support for reforms, with the expectation that domestic institutions will take advantage of the existing European momentum and speed up the fulfillment of the remaining obligations on the way to membership. The interlocutors agreed that Bosnia and Herzegovina must not miss the existing European momentum and that the continuation of reforms is a joint responsibility of domestic institutions and European partners.
