Bosnia and Herzegovina is being recognised as a “gem” in diplomatic world, Bosnian Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic told N1, noting that Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska entity, is a “political reality” here. Pročitaj više

“I think we have been a way too passive at a certain point, Bosnian diplomacy was doing almost nothing. Unfortunately, the aggression against Ukraine shed a new light for Europe on the events in the Balkans. I can see what a gem Bosnia and Herzegovina is in diplomatic world,” said Konakovic, adding that Bosnia was expected to become proactive and offer its own solutions.

Asked who was to blame for that, he replied that the problem was not only in Bosnia's diplomacy but the “passiveness that was evident.”

He praised the Bosniak member of BiH tripartite Presidency Denis Becirovic for “bringing in the new energy in the Presidency” and behaving different than his predecessors.

“The interest of great powers that used to be atrophied is contributing as well,” he noted.

Speaking about the relations among political parties in BiH, he said that Dodik, who is also the leader of the ruling SNSD party in the Serb-majority part of the country is a “political reality.”

“Someone tells me how was it possible to create a functional government without SNSD?,” he asked, adding that no one offered a valid argument or said it was possible with the opposition parties.

According to him, the opposition in Republika Srpska entity is not much different and is even more radical.

“Many colleagues from diplomatic world are telling me for the first time there are solutions and proposals coming from BiH. We can always hide behind Dodik, that's an easy thing to do,” said Konakovic, also the leader of the People and Justice party, one of the coalition partners in the government at the state level and in the Federation entity.

Commenting on the meeting of the coalition partners held on Monday, he said working groups have already been formed to shape the laws that were agreed upon.

“We'll be able to go to Brussels and say: Europe, it is your turn now,” he stressed, adding that pace for all 14 priorities that the EU set before BiH is different.

As for controversial laws that were adopted in Republika Srpska, Konakovic said that this have shaken the trust among the coalition partners but that those laws “formally-legally are non-existent for us.”

“I think the public in RS realised how big opportunity is within arm's reach. There were too many missed opportunities for this country,” he said.