- BiH Prosecutor’s Office orders arrest of Republika Srpska leaders
The Bosnian and Herzegovina Prosecutor’s Office has issued arrest warrants for Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Radovan Višković and Republika Srpska Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevandić. The RS leadership is being accused of “violating the constitutional order”, which is a criminal offense.
The BiH Prosecutor’s Office has forwarded the warrant to the Bosnian and Herzegovina Judicial Police, which has requested assistance in executing the motion from the BiH Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA). However, according to the laws recently adopted in Republika Srpska, the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, SIPA, and the BiH judiciary are prohibited from operating in Republika Srpska as such.
Republika Srpska Interior Minister Sinisa Karan said none of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s “unconstitutional institutions” will be able to operate on the territory of Republika Srpska. “No one will arrest representatives of the Republika Srpska,” he stressed.
Dodik, Višković, and Stevandić, commenting on the warrants, said they would continue to work in the Republika Srpska, ignoring the decision of the BiH Prosecutor’s Office. They made it clear they did not believe they would be detained.
Given the complexity of the situation, SIPA ran an assessment of security risks, concluding that they are “high”. The agency has enquired that the BiH Judicial Police obtain additional data on the case from the BiH Prosecutor’s Office.
- EUFOR to temporarily expand forces in BiH.
The European Union military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUFOR Althea, reported this on March 7. This is a proactive measure aimed at assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina in the interest of all citizens, the report emphasizes.
The EUFOR Althea contingent in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been reinforced with additional units from the Czech Republic, Italy, and Romania.
EUFOR Commander in BiH Florin-Marian Barbu stressed that the deployment of the reserve units demonstrates the commitment of the European forces to peace and stability.
” The EU will not lightly jeopardize the progress made in recent years to a political crisis which challenged the political functionality of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the recent months,” stressed Luigi Sorreca, Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a address to the EUFOR reserve forces.
This is the second time in three years that the EU has decided to deploy part of its EUFOR reserve forces.
The move came against the backdrop of contradictory statements by Hungarian officials in support of the Republika Srpska leadership.
Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, has officially requested the European Council to withdraw EUFOR’s Hungarian contingent from BiH. He stated that the reason for this is the activities of high-ranking Hungarian officials who, in their respective positions, express direct political and economic support for Mr. Milorad Dodik.
Due to such political positions by high-ranking Hungarian officials, the general public in Bosnia and Herzegovina has formed a perception of their apparent bias, which may ultimately lead to distrust of the sincere intentions of the EUFOR Althea mission, Komšić emphasized.
At the same time, after the start of the deployment of the EUFOR reserve forces (without the Hungarian contingent), Dodik stated he would soon hold a high-level meeting with representatives of the Russian Federation and ask them to veto EUFOR’s presence of EUFOR. “I will ask the Russians to veto this and not allow a subversive structure that abuses the UN mandate and threatens us, Serbs, by introducing some forces just because Sarajevo demands it, to remain in place,” he said.
The European Union launched the EUFOR Althea military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 2, 2004, nine years after the war ended. On November 1, 2024, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of EUFOR Althea in BiH for another 12 months.
- NATO Secretary General visits Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo
On March 10-11, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte traveled to Sarajevo and Pristina. In Sarajevo, he met with senior Bosnia and Herzegovina officials, including members of the Presidency, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense and the Acting Minister of Security, as well as the Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Commander of EUFOR.
During the visit, Mr Rutte stressed that “NATO remains firmly committed to the stability and security of this region. (…) NATO fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina”. He added that “the Dayton Peace Agreement is the cornerstone of peace in this country and must be respected”. “We support the Office of the High Representative. Any activity that undermines the Dayton Agreement, the constitutional order or state institutions is unacceptable. Inflammatory rhetoric and actions are dangerous, as they pose a great threat to the stability and security of BiH,” Rutte said.
The NATO Secretary General also stressed the need for political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to do their part and “take responsibility” for the progress and stability in their country.
He made it clear that “this is not 1992” and that NATO and the Alliance’s international partners are present in Bosnia and Herzegovina and “will not allow a security vacuum”.
In Pristina, the Secretary General led a visit by the North Atlantic Council and partners participating in the NATO-led military mission in Kosovo, KFOR, and the NATO liaison and advisory team (NLAT). Together with NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, they met with KFOR and NLAT leadership and personnel, and exchanged views with the Heads of Mission of the European Union, the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of Mission UNMIK, and the Acting Head of Mission of the OSCE. The Secretary-General also met with the Kosovo leadership.
“Our KFOR troops work relentlessly to ensure a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo, in line with KFOR’s long-standing UN mandate. In addition, the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team continues to support the security organizations in Kosovo, through capacity-building, education and training coordination,” said Rutte. “A secure Western Balkans region means more security across the whole Euro-Atlantic area,” stressed the NATO Secretary General. “NATO will continue to play its part, within our mandate for security of all. We do this in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), in our respective roles as security responders,” he added.
“The solution to long-lasting peace is political. In this respect, NATO will continue to fully support the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, led by the European Union. This is the only way to solve pending issues, and secure a stable future, ensuring that the rights of all communities are respected and safeguarded,” said Rutte. “And to move this Dialogue forward, both sides must show flexibility, make the necessary compromises, and focus on the long-term gains.”
The NATO Secretary General’s visit to the region took place amid an escalation of the political crisis caused by the conflict between the central government and the leadership of Republika Srpska, and on the eve of the announcement of parliamentary election results in Kosovo, which, according to the outlook, should lead to a reformatting of the government.
- North Macedonia to develop defense cooperation with U.S., Hungary
North Macedonia should focus on developing its own army, said Defense Minister Vlado Misajlovski in an interview with Voice of America, commenting on the issue of continuing military assistance to Ukraine.
“We are here to help in a way that, as far as possible, preserves our interest. Our main focus is our Macedonian nation, our citizens and, of course, our combat readiness to be constantly at a high level. And that is why I constantly say that we must modernize, acquire new equipment,” he stressed.
According to him, the United States is the most supportive of the development of the Macedonian army. “If there was any country that helped us to the fullest extent, it was America,” he said. “We will strive for maximum modernization and will be committed to this strategic friendship,” the minister added.
He also spoke about the contracts for the supply of American equipment to North Macedonia, which are already underway.
According to him, all 96 JLTV armored vehicles should arrive by the end of the year, while the Strykers will be delivered in the coming months. “We will have almost the best armored vehicles,” the head of the Ministry of Defense said.
He also reported that in December, North Macedonia signed new agreements for American funding. “We have signed about six contracts worth more than EUR 20 million for various equipment,” the minister said, adding that these are “high-quality, sophisticated drones” and cybersecurity projects. “Six excellent agreements have already been signed, and I’d like to emphasize that all this comes directly from U.S. funds,” the minister said.
The chief of the defense ministry also announced the signing of a bilateral agreement between North Macedonia and Hungary on military training. “This year we will witness joint exercises in Ohrid,” he noted.
According to the top defense official, the parties also discussed ways to improve cooperation in the defense industry.
The declared course for the development of Macedonian-American and Macedonian-Hungarian cooperation in the defense sphere, as well as the change in rhetoric regarding assistance to Ukraine, are natural in the context of Skopje’s current geopolitical priorities.
- Serbia withdraws its vote for Ukraine-authored resolution at UN
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić reported that the Serbian mission to the UN had changed its vote in the UN General Assembly for the Ukrainian resolution, which supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemns Russian aggression. “Our mission to the UN changed its vote to ‘abstain’ at the UN Secretariat, and this put an end to the issue,” Djuric stressed.
The Foreign Minister said the responsibility for everything that happened lies with him. “Our duty is also to monitor the current situation, to adjust the Serbian position to emerging geopolitical changes. That is why I think we should have abstained, and I will not shift the responsibility for this to either the profession or the sectors, the political responsibility does not lie with the president, it lies primarily with me. And if anyone needs to apologize, it is me,” the minister stressed.
On February 24, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution reaffirming its support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity. Two versions of the resolution were voted on – the American version and the one drafted by Ukraine and its European allies. Serbia abstained from voting on the previous resolution, but supported the latter one.
Shortly after, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said Serbia had made an error by voting “yes”. The Kremlin said at the time that Russia accepted Vučić’s apology for the “technical error” and “incorrect vote” on the resolution on Ukraine in the UN General Assembly, but was waiting for the “yes” vote to be withdrawn.
However, Belgrade’s decision to alter its position on the Ukrainian resolution is explained not only as a step toward Moscow, but also as a curtsy towards Washington, given that the U.S. was then proposing its own alternative draft resolution on the Russo-Ukrainian conflict at the UN, and the Serbian delegation “abstained” during the vote for that document.
- Donald Trump Jr.’s visit to Belgrade
On March 11, Donald Trump Jr., the son of U.S. President Donald Trump, arrived in Belgrade where he met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
President Aleksandar Vučić showed Trump Jr. a panorama of new districts of Belgrade from the terrace of the presidential palace. He expressed hope that the visit would deepen ties between Serbia and the U.S.
“A cordial conversation with Donald Trump Jr., the son of the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, about bilateral relations between Serbia and the USA and current topics that shape the global political and economic scene. I emphasized the importance of economic and political relations between Serbia and the USA and emphasized the importance of strategic cooperation between the two countries and joint projects in the coming years. This meeting symbolizes the commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and working together to solve global challenges,” Vučić wrote on his Instagram profile.
The media believe the visit of the U.S. president’s son to Belgrade is connected with the previously announced plans of the Trump family, namely the president’s son-in-law, to build a hotel on the site of the General Staff building destroyed during the NATO bombing. It is assumed that this, as well as other possible joint projects, are viewed by the Serbian leadership as an opportunity to build closer ties with the White House, primarily to influence American policy towards the Western Balkans.
