Bosnia and Herzegovina–Serbia relations

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Bosnia and Herzegovina–Serbia relations
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Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia maintain diplomatic relations established between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (of which Serbia is considered sole legal successor) in 2000. [1]

Contents

History

Both countries were constituent republics within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1992, following the breakup of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaimed independence. This was followed by the Bosnian War, which lasted until late 1995 and ended with the signing of the Dayton Agreement.

In 2015, Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have condemned the Srebrenica massacre as a genocide. Lobbied by the Republika Srpska and Serbia, the veto was praised by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić stating that Russia had "prevented an attempt of smearing the entire Serbian nation as genocidal" and proven itself as a true and honest friend. [2] A week later, invited by the Bosnian government to attend the annual Srebrenica Genocide Memorial, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić was attacked by a mob in the crowd with stones, bottles and other objects and had to flee the premise. [3]

In 2021, Serbia donated 5,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Bosnia and Herzegovina. [4]

Political relations

Relations between the two countries are often overshadowed by political tensions. The legacy of the Bosnian War, including the Srebrenica genocide, remains a point of contention. Ascending to this, the sometimes secessionist actions of Republika Srpska, supported by Serbia, threaten BiH’s stability and risk reigniting ethnic conflicts.

Republika Srpska

Serbia’s political support for Bosnian Serbs, and Republika Srpska for that matter, during the Bosnian War was extensive, encompassing diplomatic advocacy, military aid, and economic assistance. [5] The legacy of this support continues to influence Bosnian-Serbian relations, as seen in ongoing tensions over Republika Srpska’s status and historical narratives.

The Dayton agreement ensured the right for entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to establish special parallel relationships with neighboring countries consistent with sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in this case Republika Srpska with Serbia. The Agreement on Special Parallel Relations was signed in 1997. [6]

Bosnia and Herzegovina's stance on Kosovo

Bosnia and Herzegovina does not recognize independence of Kosovo essentially through the veto from Republika Srpska. Bosniak and Croat members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina support the recognition of Kosovo as a sovereign state, and Serb member does not. Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitution requires consensus among all three members in order to perform such an action. Besides Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina thus remains the only country of the former Yugoslavia not to recognize Kosovo's independence. [7]

Economic relations

Serbia is the third biggest trading partner of Bosnia and Herzegovina (behind Germany and Italy). Trade between two countries amounted to $2.65 billion in 2024; Serbia's merchandise export to Bosnia and Herzegovina were over $1.6 billion; Bosnia and Herzegovina's exports were standing at $1 billion. [8]

Serbian public telecommunications company Telekom Srbija is the owner of Mtel, the biggest telecom operator in Bosnia and Herzegovina. [9]

Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serbs are one of the constitutive nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina along with Bosniaks and Croats. They are the second largest ethnic group, numbering 1,086,733 (30.8% of the total population) according to the 2013 Census. The community is concentrated in Republika Srpska (numbering 970,857; 83% of the total population).

Bosniaks in Serbia

Bosniaks in Serbia are a recognized ethnic minority group. They are the fourth largest ethnic group after Serbs, Hungarians and Roma, numbering 153,801 and constituting 2.3% of the total population. The vast majority of them live in the in the region of Sandžak in southwestern Serbia.

Resident diplomatic missions

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "Bosnia and Herzegovina". www.mfa.gov.rs.
    2. ↑ "Russia blocks U.N. condemnation of Srebrenica as a genocide". Reuters. 8 July 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
    3. ↑ "Serbia's president condemns 'savage' attack on PM at Srebrenica". The Guardian. 11 July 2015.
    4. ↑ Војводине, Јавна медијска установа ЈМУ Радио-телевизија. "ФБИХ прихватила Вучићеву понуду - 5.000 вакцина". ЈМУ Радио-телевизија Војводине. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
    5. ↑ Judah. The Serbs. Yale University Press. pp. 222–224. ISBN   978-0-300-15826-7.
    6. ↑ "Successful implementation of agreement on special, parallel relations :: EMG :: Business news from Serbia 2010". Archived from the original on 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
    7. ↑ "Bosnia Presidency Fails to Agree on Recognition of Kosovo". 15 October 2020.
    8. ↑ https://bhas.gov.ba/data/Publikacije/Saopstenja/2025/ETR_01_2024_12_1_HR.pdf
    9. ↑ https://pressmediabih.com/biznis/2023/03/03/najveci-telekom-operater-u-bih-uvecao-prihode-i-dobit/
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