Foreign relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnians, at home and among the diaspora communities in the US, Europe, and Australia, are in fact affecting change outside the political process by investing in the country's grassroots economic, cultural, civil society, and educational development. These commendable efforts will take time to develop and mature.

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague has again rejected a request for early release filed by Radislav Krstic, the wartime commander of the Bosnian Serb Army's Drina Corps, who was convicted in 2004 of aiding and abetting genocide.

In February this year, Krstic asked to be released early on the basis of the law in Poland, where he is serving his sentence.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's success in the European accession process contributes to the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans and the European Union as a whole, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Thursday at a meeting she had with the Prime Minister of this country, Denis Zvizdic.

According to it, Belgrade and Pristina "agreed to press ahead with their efforts to implement existing agreements and to engage constructively in the dialogue for the normalization of relations, through the EU, with the aim of reaching a comprehensive and final agreement."

Djordjevic was quoted as saying that that Drvar has always been a Serb town, and Zeljko Komsic thinks this was "undiplomatic."

He stressed that the citizens of Serbia "have to be aware that without the effective and comprehensive normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina there will be no accession to the European Union."

This is stated in a report published ahead of this year's Munich Security Conference, dubbed, "The Great Puzzle: Who will pick up the pieces?"

The segment of the report dedicated to this region is entitled, "Western Balkans: With friends like these...," and it states that EU leaders "recognize the strategic importance of this missing piece in the 'jigsaw of Europe'."

Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Szijjarto stated on Thursday in Bucharest, prior to the informal meeting of the foreign affairs minister of the EU (Gymnich), that the Western Balkans states should be integrated in the European Union at a much faster pace than currently.

This has been stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a joint news conference in Ankara with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Turkey's Anadolu agency is reporting.

The agreement, negotiated in Dayton, Ohio in 1995, ended a three-year war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Former soldiers from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Federation entity blocked the Bijaca border crossing with Croatia, demanding welfare benefits and a proper register of those who fought in the 1992-95 war.