Bosnia and Herzegovina has a new convocation of the Council of Ministers without the SDA. It is particularly significant that the Bosniaks managed to retain control over the department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The new minister Elmedin Konaković, although he does not lack energy and ambition, was contested by many, given his lack of diplomatic experience. It should also be noted that this department has divided jurisdiction - namely, part of the authority for foreign affairs is in the hands of the BiH Presidency.

Someone else's staff

In this regard, considerable controversy was caused by the announced appointments of Denis Bećirović to ambassadorial positions. Of the 14 names that were announced, as many as seven performed this duty as SDA cadres.

To that should be added Errol Avdović, who in the previous weeks openly supported the policies of DF and Željko Komšić, as well as a large coalition that would include SDA, DF and SDP. There is also the name of Zlatko Lagumdžija for the Secretary General of the UN and Damir Arnaut as a member of Naša stranka. The only ambassador among those announced that Konaković will be able to count on directly, as things stand now, is Haris Bašić, the current deputy mayor of Sarajevo, a person otherwise very close to Konaković.

This is particularly significant in light of the fact that Konaković has a historic job ahead of him. During the previous years, we witnessed a significant decline in the position of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the world. There were fewer and fewer old friends left in positions, we mostly did not make new ones, especially in Western countries. At the same time, the diplomacy of Bosnia and Herzegovina for years, has been acting as a literate orchestra, where the appointed personnel represented more often party and ethnic interests than state interests, often in confrontation with each other.

Konaković's predecessor, Bisera Turković, spent more time in the countries of Middle East with questionable results than in the highest Western power centers, where crucial decisions for Bosnia and Herzegovina are made.

Shaky connections

Konaković now has before him the responsibility (with the help of the Presidency) to restore to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also to the Bosniaks, the shaken ties in the world and to strengthen our position again, both in the East and in the West. Our diplomacy needs new energy and strategy in the midst of obtaining candidate status for the EU, which requires numerous reforms, as well as lobbying in Bruxelles, the war in Ukraine, which requires the unity of the West, but still a strong sovereignist right with extremely Islamophobic views, which does not at all respect the position of Bosniaks and does not make it easier at all.

Difficult situation

It is also symptomatic that only 14 names of ambassadors that should be appointed by Bećirović have been published. There is no word yet on the personnel of the other two members of the Presidency, Željko Komšić and Željka Cvijanović. However, considering that the SNSD has been conducting its own "diplomacy" for a long time, and that Komšić is in extremely bad relations with Konaković, the new minister will certainly have a very difficult situation in the management of Bosnia and Herzegovina's diplomacy.