In the last few months, the greater engagement of the United Kingom (UK) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been noticeable. Increased involvement is reflected in increased diplomatic activity, but also in the intensification of support for the security structures of BiH.
At the end of 2021, UK appointed a special envoy for the Western Balkans, Stuart Peach, who visited BiH on several occasions and sent messages of support to the Armed Forces of BiH.
At the end of May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of UK, Liz Truss, visited BiH. During her visit, Truss sent several strong messages in which she said that UK‘s support for BiH is long-lasting and that she will do everything to curb Russia’s malignant influence in Bosnia.
After the NATO summit in Madrid, the Government of UKmade a decision at the request of the NATO headquarters in Sarajevo that a military expert for the fight against disinformation and an adviser for civilian strategic defense will be deployed in Sarajevo to support and train the Armed Forces of BiH.
In addition, UK announced the provision of 750.000 pounds for the establishment of a center for cyber security within the University of Sarajevo.
On that occasion, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also sent a message that UK will not allow the Western Balkans to become another playground for Putin’s pernicious pursuits. He accused Russia of fanning the flames of secessionism and sectarianism in BiH.
Such announcements are a clear indication that UK has its own strategic goals in BiH, and this is a historical process that has been going on since the 19th century.
“UK‘s main rival in the 19th century was Russia, including in BiH. Political relations with Austria/Austria-Hungary changed towards the end of the Eastern Crisis in 1878. Until then, the Monarchy was considered a great opponent, but after San Stephen’s Peace (March 1878) UK should cooperate closely with this power to prevent Russia from unilaterally solving the Eastern Question after its victory in the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-78,” explained Radusic.
Radusic explains that UK‘s policy in this period was based on two postulates. The first is to preserve one’s interests by cooperating with other powers, and the second is independent insistence on one’s own priority goals if the other powers did not agree. UK managed to preserve its priority goals in the Balkans in the 19th century.
On the other hand, at the end of the 1990s, during the Yugoslav crisis, UK policy towards the Yugoslav issue was shackled by uncertainty.
Neven Andjelic, professor of international relations and human rights at Regent’s University in London and visiting professor at the University of Bologna, tells that after imperial and European Britain comes global Britain, which is the embodiment of a radical break with earlier British foreign policy.
Andjelic concludes that during Theresa May’s government there were the first changes and increased attention to the Western Balkans and that UK is finally ready to help BiH on the path of European and security integration if there is a will in BiH to move in that direction, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
