ANTALYA, Türkiye, April 12. Bosnia and
Herzegovina’s Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković emphasized the
urgent need to eliminate corruption and political manipulation in
the Western Balkans, calling for a shift from historical disputes
to forward-looking dialogue and economic integration with the
European Union, Trend reports.
“If we can remove corruption, then we can talk about our final
goals or priorities,” Konaković said during a panel at the 4th
Antalya Diplomacy Forum. “You have these politicians, who should be
removed, using false national narratives… pretending to be
protectors of national interests while they are stealing and
lying.”
Konaković highlighted the importance of regional cooperation and
economic ties, pointing out that 92 percent of Bosnia and
Herzegovina’s exports align with the EU market structure – 70
percent going directly to EU member states and 22 percent to the
regional market. He named Croatia and Serbia as Bosnia’s top
foreign trade partners, despite persistent political tensions.
“We are more focused on our history than on our future,” he
noted, criticizing local politicians for daily disputes over
historical facts rather than addressing economic or social
progress.
The minister also framed EU integration as not only an
administrative issue but a security imperative following Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine. “If the EU doesn’t control this part of
Europe, someone else will,” he warned.
Drawing parallels with former Eastern Bloc countries, Konaković
underlined how nations like Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia tripled
their GDP after joining the EU. He urged Western Balkan leaders to
embrace this opportunity:
“We need brave leaders ready to cooperate, ready for honest
dialogue, not the fake one.”
Konaković ended his remarks by highlighting the scale of
emigration as a pressing challenge. In 2021 alone, more than
130,000 Bosnians left the country to work in EU nations, with
thousands more heading to the U.S. and Australia.
“Around 4 percent of our population left the country in just one
year. This shows the urgent need for political stability and
economic opportunity.”
With the EU’s new Growth Plan on the table and open doors for
integration, Konaković concluded with a call for decisive
leadership:
“Now we need brave and smart leaders to sit together, to have
dialogue, and to do something for the future of our region.”