BiH has not established diplomatic relations with 20 countries out of 193 member countries of the UN, including Palestine and the Holy See, which have the status of non-voting members.
These are countries with which BiH never exchanged recognition, and consequently never established diplomatic relations.
However, we are cooperating with these countries when necessary and the procedure for the establishment of diplomatic relations and mutual recognition is currently taking place.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH in 2008, in accordance with the decision of the Presidency of BiH, started the procedure to establish relations with all the other member states of the UN (44 at the time), as said from the MFA BiH.
A total of 24 countries responded positively (Dominica, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu and Zimbabwe) and with them were established diplomatic relations through exchange of notes.
The remaining twenty countries remained without answer, as these are mostly distant and small island countries with weak administrative capacity. Subsequently was re-launched procedure with these countries and it is expected that BiH will have diplomatic relations with all member states of the UN.
When it comes to countries that are not full members of the UN, BiH has established diplomatic relations with Vatican, Palestine and the Order of Malta.
BiH has established diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands, but did not recognize this country as an independent country, nor they asked BiH to do so.
No other state which aspires for recognition of the international community have not been recognized, nor we have established diplomatic relations with them.
“It is necessary to clearly define the distinction between the quantity and quality of diplomatic relations. In other words, it’s not so important with how many countries we have established diplomatic relations, but whether we have the capacity to maintain these relations for the benefit of BiH and in the interest of its peoples and citizens,” as said from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH.
The MFA added that, unfortunately, there are no necessary regulatory, human and financial capacities to maintain effective diplomatic relations with all member states of the UN at the moment, and we are trying to first create the essential prerequisites for our present actions.
With which members of the UN our country has no diplomatic relations?
Permanent Mission of BiH at the United Nations in New York is leading activities on the establishment of diplomatic relations with 20 countries, and procedures have already been started with following countries:
The Bahamas from 18.12.2008
Barbados from 21.11.2008
Bhutan from 18.11.2008
The Central African Republic from 06.10.2010
Grenada from 10.12.2008
Kiribati from 20.2009
Lesotho from 21.11.2008
Madagascar from 15.12.2008
The Marshall Islands from 15.12.2008
Micronesia from 18.12.2008
Nauru from 15.12.2008
Palau from 15.12.2008
Papua New Guinea from 10.12.2008
Saint Kits and Nevis from 10.12.2008
Somalia from 06.10.2010
South Sudan from 05.06.2013
Tanzania from 15.02.2006
Togo since 15.12.2008
Tonga from 10.12.2008
Vanuatu from 15.12.2008
(Source: N1)
