Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konaković attended an informal lunch organized for partners from the Western Balkans by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The conversation was devoted to foreign policy, security and the common European future of the countries of the Western Balkans.
On that occasion, Konaković reiterated that membership in the European Union remains a strategic goal and one of the key foreign policy priorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In this context, he referred to current events in Serbia and the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić. He particularly pointed to the fact that high officials of the Government of Serbia participated in commemorative and funeral activities, while President Aleksandar Vučić publicly defended the way the state acted in relation to Mladić’s return and funeral. He emphasized that it is not a dispute between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia over different interpretations of history, recalling that Ratko Mladić was legally convicted before international courts for genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war, and that his sentence of life imprisonment was upheld in the appeal process. He added that the International Court of Justice found that Serbia violated the obligation from the Convention on Genocide to prevent the genocide in Srebrenica, as well as the obligation to fail to extradite Ratko Mladić to the Hague Tribunal.
Konaković then emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s position does not refer to the collective guilt of the Serbian people, given that international criminal responsibility is individual. He assessed that our concern relates to the political authorities and public institutions which, as he stated, glorify the legally convicted perpetrator, humiliate the victims and thus undermine the reconciliation process and regional stability. He assessed that such procedures must also be observed in the context of European integration, since the credibility of the enlargement process depends on the consistent application of European values and standards.
Konaković reminded that during 2025, Bosnia and Herzegovina achieved full alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union (CFSP), and that it maintained such alignment during 2026. He pointed out that for Bosnia and Herzegovina, harmonization with the EU’s common positions is not only a technical requirement of the accession process, but represents a strategic and geopolitical choice.
“At a time when Europe is facing war on its continent, hybrid threats, disinformation and increasing geopolitical competition, Bosnia and Herzegovina has decided to stand by the European Union,” said Konaković.
Assessed that the enlargement of the European Union today cannot be viewed only as a technical process of adopting legislation and meeting established criteria, but also as one of the important geopolitical and security instruments of the EU. He pointed to the broader European security context and the consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine, stressing that the security of the Western Balkans cannot be separated from the European security architecture. According to him, the membership perspective must remain credible, predictable and based on the consistent application of standards.
“We are not asking for lower standards or special treatment. We seek equal standards, consistency and credibility. The European Union should clearly distinguish those in the Western Balkans who work to improve European integration from those who undermine European values, democratic institutions and regional stability,” said Konaković.
Speaking about the Common Security and Defense Policy of the EU, Konaković emphasized the special significance of the gradual integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the wider European security and defense architecture. He emphasized that EUFOR ALTHEA remains an important pillar of stability in BiH, providing a security guarantee and supporting a safe and stable environment.
“Therefore, we attach great importance to the continued presence of EUFOR and the extension of its mandate,” said Konaković and added that in the current geopolitical environment, the European presence in the region, the protection of state institutions, countering disinformation and responding to hybrid activities are particularly important, the Public Relations Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH announced.
