Secession has already begun in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Union has a simple and cheap method to ensure that the Balkans do not come under Russian influence: officially accept our candidacy for the European Union, Bosnia’s Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic said in an interview for the Italian Corriere della Sera.

“We are very worried, Moscow wants to be as big as it used to be, it will certainly not stop and it will continue, not only in Moldova and Transnistria, but also in our region,” Turkovic added.

Asked whether the war in Ukraine could encourage Belgrade to act together with Moscow in the Balkans, she answered that Serbia must decide whom to stay with, whether it is the EU or Moscow.

“They want to become part of the European Union, but at the same time, they maintain strong ties with Russia. So we don’t know exactly how they will behave in the future, but I think it’s time to decide where we want the Western Balkans to go. And that depends as much on the Balkan countries as it does on the European Union. Geographically, we belong to Europe, but if Brussels does not take steps in that direction, that space could be filled by someone else,” Turkovic replied.

Is there a danger of secession in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Milorad Dodik, a member of the BiH Presidency from the RS, is pushing for the RS to create an army, police and tax administration independent of the central government.

“I would say that it is more than a risk, the secession has already begun, the Republika Srpska already made those decisions that are going in that direction and which will come into force in a year. So, if Milorad Dodik wins the elections in October, he will certainly activate his plan for the Republika Srpska,” Turkovic warned.

BiH is also considering joining NATO, but Moscow has already said it would consider it a hostile act. Do you feel threatened?

“Russia is giving the same signals about our entry into the European Union, it is clear that they want to dominate this part of the world. They know that if they control Bosnia and Herzegovina, they will control the entire Balkans,” the BiH Foreign Minister said.