The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, met in Brussels with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kalas. On that occasion, Konaković emphasized that the European path is a strategic goal and priority for BiH, and warned of the fact that BiH is facing a very complex political situation.
He emphasized that BiH continues to fully align its foreign policy with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, stating that the authorities of Republika Srpska are responsible for the political crisis in the country.
He informed his interlocutor about the anti-constitutional and destabilizing actions of the President of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the first-instance verdict of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina of 26 February 2025, by which Dodik was found guilty of committing the criminal offense of failure to implement the decisions of the High Representative.
In this context, he also mentioned, as he said, the worrying pro-Russian influence in our country, given that Milorad Dodik visited Russia three times last year, after which, according to Konaković, he publicly revealed that he would not support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s membership in the EU because, he stated, it did not serve the national interests of RS.
When it comes to the set of laws recently adopted by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, which the Constitutional Court of BiH temporarily suspended, and the Draft of the new Constitution of Republika Srpska, Konaković assessed that they represent a serious threat to the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also to regional security.
He assessed that this is Dodik’s attempted coup d’état which, according to Konaković, could ultimately end in a violent conflict, which no one wants.
He also emphasized that the political opposition in RS is loudly opposing Dodik’s plan and actions and is calling for the urgent repeal of unconstitutional laws and a return to reforms related to the European path.
Konaković requested an urgent EU response and called on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European partners to unite in a decisive stance against these unconstitutional actions and sanction them. He said that peace and stability can only be preserved by protecting the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
EU High Representative Kalas emphasized full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She assessed that Bosnia and Herzegovina has shown dedicated work in harmonizing the reform agenda and its commitment to the European path in the past two years. She added that the European Union will not allow the progress achieved to be jeopardized due to the political crisis that has called into question the functionality of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent months, and that the EU will use all its mechanisms to protect the security and constitutional order of BiH.
The interlocutors agreed that it is necessary to continue working so that our country fulfills the remaining obligations and reforms on its European path as soon as possible and obtains the conditions for opening official negotiations and holding an Intergovernmental Conference.
