FM confirms lobbying firm was hired to represent BiH in the US

At the beginning of the interview, Konakovic explained why he sent a letter to EU and NATO ministers directly calling on EUFOR to assist in the arrest of Milorad Dodik, the president of BiH’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity.

“This was a logical step following Dodik’s latest barbaric act and the attack on the German minister Anna Lührmann. That was truly a red line he crossed once again—an uncivilized act and a real threat to Bosnia, the region, and now also to European security. His intentions were very clear, and it’s important that even those who were previously skeptical now realize how dangerous Milorad Dodik is. And I must say—they do realize it now. I’ve tried to explain this before, and there was a part of the EU that preferred political solutions, which makes sense—of course, no one wants conflict or to push anyone’s children into the kind of scenario Dodik dreams of, where, God forbid, lives are lost. But today it’s absolutely clear that his latest move has woken even the biggest doubters, who thought he could be reasoned with. The discussion around EUFOR assistance now has a completely different dimension, and I believe it will soon become a reality,” Konakovic told N1.

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, will arrive on Tuesday in BiH.

Konakovic said “very important topics” will be discussed.

“I had two very important meetings with Ms. Kallas in her current mandate. We met in Rome and then had a bilateral meeting in Brussels. Tomorrow, I will have the opportunity to first welcome her at the airport and then meet with her at dinner to discuss the situation in Bosnia. I’m encouraged by how well she understands the situation in BiH. She is someone who clearly recognizes the malign Russian influence and knows its methods. I believe she is a true friend of BiH. We’ve already discussed potential solutions, and you’ll have more details after our meeting,” Konakovic added.

Recently the news emerged that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH hired successful American businessmen of Bosnian origin—Mirza Pilakovic and Almas Sehic—who signed a contract with the prestigious lobbying firm Continental Strategy to improve BiH–U.S. relations. As public criticism mounted—especially from Borjana Kristo, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, who claimed she wasn’t informed—Konakovic responded by saying the country needs to have an open conversation about the security situation, particularly after the diplomatic scandal in Republika Srpska.

“I don’t even know what all they accuse me of anymore. I take full responsibility here—I initiated it, I found those people in the U.S., and it was easy because there are many influential Bosnians there with ties to the Trump administration and their own organization. Fully in line with my authority and the law, and without spending a single convertible mark of public money, we reached a very effective solution for BiH. Over there, we will promote our truth—and if anyone has a problem with that, they can write it in the complaint book,” said Konakovic.

Germany and Austria recently imposed sanctions on Dodik, Nenad Stevandic (President of the RS National Assembly), and Radovan Viskovic (Prime Minister of RS). Konakovic believes that this is not the end.

“There will be more sanctions—and quite harsh ones. Unfortunately for the people of RS—but this is what Dodik is doing. There will be direct financial consequences for projects planned in RS. Dodik is costing Bosnia too much—and he’s costing the people of RS the most. And I think more and more of them are realizing that. That’s a very good thing for our country,” Konakovic concluded.