BiH at the Core of Britain’s Western Balkans Engagement

This article is available in Bosnian

Ahead the London Summit of Western Balkans and EU leaders, starting tomorrow within the Berlin Process framework, a new policy document, “Restoring British Engagement in the Western Balkans”, will be presented.

The policy paper, product of the think-tank New Diplomacy Project, carries a ringing endorsement by Lord George Robertson, the former NATO Secretary-General (1999-2003).

“This report provides a brief insight into what the United Kingdom, the European Union, and NATO can do to stabilise a region that matters to us all. It deserves careful study – and urgent consideration,” Robertson wrote.

The report, published in part exclusively by !Odgovor, calls on Britain to adopt a renewed and proactive role in the Western Balkans in concert with NATO and the EU.

The authors outline a proactive strategy for Britain, urging it to spearhead transatlantic burden-sharing, advocate for NATO enlargement, forge bilateral security agreements, counter Russian and Chinese influence, and broker disputes between EU membership candidates.

The paper singles out Bosnia and Herzegovina as a strategic priority, calling for the UK to focus on its NATO accession bid, military cooperation, and the strengthening of its defence industry.

A central component of this strategy is the creation of Balkans Joint Expeditionary Force (BJEF), a new security framework modelled on the UK’s successful partnerships with Nordic and Baltic countries.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the BJEF would operate in support of the EU’s Operation Althea (EUFOR) deepening the UK’s security arrangements with BiH and prioritizing the security of the critically important Brčko corridor.

The report identifies the dynamism of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s arms sector as a key strategic advantage, serving a dual purpose as a driver of economic growth and a deterrent against Russian and Serbian influence.

“BiH’s arms and munitions sector (which is already outpacing that of far-larger member states) provides a compelling strategic argument for incorporating the country into the Alliance,” the document states.

The authors stress that, as a member of NATO’s Membership Action Program (MAP), BiH is therefore the most logical candidate for accession, noting that its main obstacle—a complex constitutional regime—can be resolved through targeted political reforms.

The report urges the United Kingdom to lead a “coalition of the willing” — including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Turkey — to offer Bosnia a direct pathway to NATO membership within a decade in exchange for constitutional reforms aligned with the EU acquis and European Court of Human Rights rulings.

Furthermore, the report links regional stability directly to the UK's national interest in curbing illegal migration. It argues that effectively stemming migrant flows requires a holistic approach that targets border corruption and strengthens state capacity through good governance and rule-of-law programs, thereby undermining the organized crime groups that facilitate smuggling.

At the same time, the coalition must provide concrete security guarantees to shield the reform process from malign interference by Serbia, Russia, Croatia, or Hungary.

The report singles out Milorad Dodik’s secessionist regime as a grave threat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting his profound Kremlin ties: “Except for Aleksandr Lukashenko, no foreign official has met as frequently in public with Putin as Dodik since 2022.” The document further adds that he has also held numerous unreported meetings with senior Russian officials since the invasion of Ukraine.

Dodik, however, is not Moscow’s only partner in BiH. The report details a coordinated effort with Dragan Čović, leader of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ BiH), who it states has worked “in lockstep with Dodik to sabotage all meaningful efforts at reforming BiH’s constitutional regime,” while also facilitating Russia’s sanctions-busting strategy by opening the country to Russian gas and supplying Moscow with critically needed metals.

To implement this renewed engagement, the report concludes that the UK must entrust its Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Dame Karen Pierce — the country's most experienced diplomat—with a pivotal leadership role.

The authors frame a revitalised British presence in the Western Balkans as a dual-purpose strategy: bolstering regional stability strategically reasserting United Kingdom’s influence in Europe post-Brexit.