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The Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH: Dodik is the only culprit for slowing down BiH’s European path

by AI | 27.Jun 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Numerous politicians and analysts in BiH believe that there has been a complete halt on the European path and that the dynamics are getting slower and slower.

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Luxembourg/Sarajevo (Fena) – Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Elmedin Konaković stated to Fena from Luxembourg that at the meeting of foreign ministers of EU member states and foreign ministers of Western Balkan countries, it was reiterated that everyone in the Union is for the expansion to this region.

He added that at the meeting, which he attended at the invitation of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, he informed colleagues about the reasons for certain delays in the implementation of the BiH European agenda.

Konaković emphasized that it is clear to everyone “that the only culprit for that is Milorad Dodik (President of the Republika Srpska entity) and his associates who are afraid of the rapid rapprochement with the EU and probably received orders from Moscow to slow it down and stop it.”

Konaković emphasized that the BiH delegation at the meeting also showed pictures of the recent meeting between Dodik and Russian President Vladimir Putin, at which Dodik promised that BiH would not join the sanctions against Russia and sought his rights in BRICS.

Otherwise, three months after the green light from the European Union to open accession negotiations with BiH, many politicians and analysts in this country believe that there has been a complete halt on the European path and that the dynamics are getting slower and slower.

Due to internal political turmoil, the ruling coalition has still not managed to agree on key reforms, such as those in the judiciary, the fight against corruption, and the strengthening of the rule of law. The situation is not helped by the increasingly vocal separatist policy of the leaders of the Republika Srpska entity.

In order for BiH to even get a negotiating framework, the authorities must fulfill the key eight points from 2022, including the adoption of laws on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, courts, conflict of interest, fight against corruption, border and migration control, national preventive mechanism against torture, and protection of media freedom and journalists. (25.6.)