Kosovo Issue Highlights Bosnian Foreign Policy Splits

Divergences on Bosnia's foreign policy priorities are growing between the Bosnian government and Republika Srpska, the country's Serb-dominated entity, experts say.

"Although Republika Srpska is just an entity inside Bosnia, they have different perceptions of their foreign policy goals," Sead Turcalo, a political sciences professor in Sarajevo, told BIRN on Monday.

"This is particularly true when it comes to sensitive issues like the recognition of Kosovo and NATO membership," Turcalo noted.

"With such internal differences in pursuing strategic goals, it is difficult to speak about a coherent Bosnian foreign policy at all," he added.

These differences were on display once again during and after the official visit of the Albanian President, Bujar Nishani, to Sarajevo on Wednesday, when he asked Bosnia to accept Kosovo's independence.

After Nishani declared that he wished "Bosnia would recognise Kosovo", his words attracted instant criticism from representatives from Republika Srpska.

Together with Serbia, Bosnia is the only former Yugoslav country that has refused to recognise the independence of Kosovo - because of opposition from Republika Srpska.

"While I occupy this position, Bosnia won't recognise Kosovo", Mladen Ivanic, the Serbian member of the Bosnian Presidency, responded.

Echoing the official Serbian line that Kosovo remains Serbian territory, he added: "Kosovo and Metohija constitute an integral part of Serbia."

The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, made the same point, rejoining that the RS "has no intention of recognising Kosovo".

Milos Solaja, an expert of international relations at the University of Banja Luka, said such remarks are a reminder that foreign...