Speaking at a panel on the EU after the European elections at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia, he said the EU's enlargement policy has completely changed following Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Yesterday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced at the Forum that the new Commission would have a strengthened portfolio for the Commissioner responsible for enlargement and that the process would be further accelerated.

“Europeans have awakened to the fact” that EU integration is not just an administrative matter but also a security issue, Konakovic said.

Russia is “very active” in BiH and is “collecting frustrations” among the population in the Western Balkans, who are dissatisfied with the slow pace of EU integration, he said but added that the candidate countries themselves bear part of the blame.

He praised the European Council's decision last March to officially open negotiations with BiH, calling it a “brave decision” which sent a “message that surprised Moscow.”

The Russians have “direct influence” on some politicians in BiH and they convey to the public that Europe does not want them, Konakovic said. He mentioned the Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Milorad Dodik, who visited Moscow twice this year and criticised Western countries from there.

The problem is not only Dodik but also populist politicians from the Bosniak side who advocate alternative paths, such as joining BRICS, an intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Western Balkan countries have no alternative to EU membership, Konakovic said, adding that BiH exports 92% of its goods and services to the EU, while less than 1% goes to Russia and China.