Bosnia and Herzegovina: Rule of Law

Question

15:07:00

Asked by

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the resilience of peace and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

My Lords, peace, stability and upholding the rule of law in Bosnia-Herzegovina remain a key focus of this Government and recent actions by Republika Srpska’s President Dodik have attempted to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state. The Constitutional Court has suspended these unconstitutional laws. We support all citizens, communities and politicians who are focused on the reforms needed to make progress and not on engaging in divisive rhetoric.

My Lords, as my noble friend the Minister alluded to in his response, it is clear that tensions have risen markedly in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the recent issuing of an arrest warrant for Milorad Dodik. I understand the symbolic and practical significance of our bilateral contributions and the current presence of UK staff officers in the NATO HQ in Sarajevo, but, given Bosnia and Herzegovina’s strategic importance, which was testified to by the recent visit of Dodik to Moscow, what consideration has been, or is being, given to recommitting UK personnel to EUFOR and Operation Althea?

My Lords, the UK Government are clear that, despite no longer participating in EUFOR, we continue to see its role as vital to maintaining a safe and secure environment in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We are open to exploring enhanced co-operation with the EU, including its operations and missions, as we strengthen the UK-EU security and defence relationship. If we decide to co-operate with EU missions and operations more closely, including EUFOR, we will evaluate the potential for a UK contribution on a case-by-case basis and where it aligns with UK interests.

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his response. We welcome the Government’s commitment to the Dayton agreement and, in particular, their statement of willingness to support all efforts by domestic actors to de-escalate the situation in the light of Dodik’s actions over the past few weeks. What discussions have the Government had with NATO allies to co-ordinate support for our partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

My Lords, we remain absolutely united with our Quint colleagues, with whom both officials and Ministers have maintained regular engagement on Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Foreign Secretary, Dame Karen and Minister Doughty continue to raise our concerns about the situation there in their engagement with regional partners, including Croatia and Serbia.

My Lords, the future of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the western Balkans is critical to the future of the United Kingdom’s interests for national security, especially in the context of Russian interference, organised crime and migration. The UK has supported the efforts against Russian interference through the £30-million western Balkans freedom and resilience programme, which is coming to an end next year. It involves 20 local civil society organisations and is on the front line of all this work. It is funded through official development assistance, so I make this appeal to the Minister. When decisions are being made to reduce ODA, which we on these Benches think is regrettable, can there be a specific carve-out for areas linked to the future interests of British national security?

The noble Lord is right: our review will be absolutely focused on the UK’s national interest, and the decision was made on the basis of the first duty of any Government to protect their population. We have been engaged across a wide range of areas in the development and soft power space to contribute to peace and stability in the western Balkans—and Bosnia-Herzegovina specifically. Our development efforts have never been solely about aid. We mobilise a range of resources to achieve our development objectives in the western Balkans and we will continue to do that, influencing policy.

My Lords, there is an arrest warrant issued in Bosnia-Herzegovina against Mr Dodik. Can the Minister update us on where that is at and what international co-operation there is on getting him arrested?

We have been very clear. Dodik has been spreading rumours that UK forces are somehow engaged in his arrest. These are baseless claims and part of a campaign of distortion and disinformation by Dodik that is clearly designed to distort and distract from his destructive actions. The charges against him are a matter for the authority of the High Representative.