Borjana Krišto says her country has “much to learn from Israel” and speaks about how Iran has tried to harm ties between her nation and the Jewish state.
MOSTAR —
Borjana Krišto had already made history in her country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, when she became the first woman to be elected as the federation’s president in 2007, as well as last January, when she became the first woman to be elected as the prime minister of the nationwide government responsible for both parts of the country – Bosnia and Herzegovina on the one hand, and the Serbian entity – Republika Srpska, on the other. Towards the end of the year, the 61-year-old Croatian with a law degree is likely to make history again when she becomes the first prime minister of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina to visit Israel. Contact between the two countries is already being made regarding the visit’s arrangement, and the visit is likely to occur in November. For Israel, Krišto’s visit is highly significant, as it will show the strengthening of its ties with yet another country with a Muslim majority that is susceptible to influence by pro-Palestinian Islamic entities.
Krišto is part of the Croatian minority that resides mainly in south Bosnia and Herzegovina, adjacent to Croatia’s border. After Bosnia and Herzegovina’s separation from Yugoslavia at the beginning of the 1990s, the three main population groups in the country – the Bosnian Muslims, the Orthodox Serbians, and the Catholic Croatians – waged a bloody civil war in which 100,000 people were killed and approximately two million people were displaced from their homes. Bosnia and Herzegovina simultaneously experienced horrific war crimes that the warring sides committed on its soil. The war ended in 1995 with the signing of the United States-sponsored Dayton Agreement. This agreement turned Bosnia and Herzegovina into a multi-ethnic federation with a complex governmental structure led by a foreign high commissioner who represents the international community and has the authority to rule on the country’s internal affairs. The current high commissioner, Christian Schmidt, did so just recently when he amended the country’s constitution to solve a political deadlock that prevented the establishment of the new government for years. Schmidt’s intervention allowed the government to push the majority party, the nationalist-Islamic “Party of Democratic Action” – in power for most of the years that modern Bosnia and Herzegovina’s existed – away. This party, which has been accused of being close ideologically to the Muslim Brotherhood and maintained relations with Erdogan’s government in Türkiye and with Iran, acted to halt the development of relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israel. Now, these actions will likely no longer stand in the way of the two countries strengthening their ties.
Krišto was one of four prime ministers who participated in the opening of the big Israeli pavilion in the International Economic Fair Mostar 2023 – the biggest trade fair in the Balkan region. Standing beside her were the prime ministers of Serbia and Croatia and the prime minister of the Bosnian-Croatian part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The official relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israel are expanding and developing in a positive direction,” said Krišto in an interview with Israel Hayom, “proof of this is our official visits to Israel and Israeli officials’ visits here. As a result of improving our relations, Israel is becoming Bosnia and Herzegovina’s partner. Israel’s Chamber of Commerce in Bosnia and Herzegovina has allowed Israel to be invited to the Mostar Fair as a guest nation. An Israeli entrepreneur (Amir Gross Kabiri – E.B.) rehabilitated the company “Aluminij Industries” (the biggest aluminum company in Bosnia and Herzegovina – E.B.) and turned it into a thriving export company that has 400 employees. Aside from economic cooperation, there is also cooperation in tourism and culture. I am more than convinced that Israel’s presence at the Mostar Fair will bring us even closer and will expand the cooperation between us and Israel. After the Israeli pavilion was opened, many meetings were held between companies from both countries in which many topics were discussed. In these meetings, exceptional ideas for shared future development of various projects were exchanged. For us, Israel serves as an example of a small country that can find ways to develop and become one of the world’s most successful countries. We have much to learn from Israel.”
Q: In which fields would you like to see more cooperation between the two countries?
“The foundation is economic cooperation. Also, in tourism and agriculture, which are an important part of our economy and in which there is room for development. And, of course, in education and science.”
Q: Do you truly intend to visit Israel?
“Of course, I have not yet been there. It will be very important for me, personally and emotionally, to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and other sites important to the State of Israel and the Jewish nation. I intend on visiting towards the end of this year.”
Q: Kosovo, which is close to you, established an embassy in Jerusalem. Do you see the possibility of Bosnia and Herzegovina moving its embassy to Jerusalem as well?
“The president is responsible for our country’s foreign affairs. But I would be very happy to see the embassy in Jerusalem one day.”
High Representative Schmidt’s intervention in the amendment of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitution so that it could establish a new government comprising moderate Muslims and Croatians caused much tension in the country. The Islamists claim that they were pushed away from power by authorities foreign to the government against the will of the Muslim majority. Simultaneously, the Serbian area’s leader is radicalizing his calls for the separation of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina, for it to declare its independence and to unite with Serbia.
“Our form of government was determined by the international community and not by the country’s residents themselves,” explains Krišto, “we conduct ourselves based on this reality, which was determined by the Dayton Agreement and the country’s constitution. Bosnia and Herzegovina comprises two entities and three main ethnic groups that live in them. The division of the government was determined unfairly towards the Croatians. The constitution gave us veto rights in the country’s governmental institutions responsible for the entire country and all its citizens. We have institutions in which its officials are elected according to the “one person, one vote” rule, and there are institutions in which the officials are elected by associative democracy. Currently, in one of the two entities in which Croatians live with Bosnian Muslims, the Croatian officials in the collective bodies of government are elected by the Muslims. The fact that the Muslims, whose numbers are greater, choose the Croatian representatives is unfair. This discriminates against an entire population, the Croatians, who cannot choose their representatives. This discrimination also exists against people from other populations, outside the three main ethnic groups, who do not have any rights whatsoever to be elected to the government. The international community bestowed upon us a constitution that stopped the war. We needed to amend this constitution to move forward, but until now, we could not do so. Currently, the situation is one in which there is much distrust in the southern part, the Croatian part, of the federation, and we have not been able to find a solution that will allow the discrimination I spoke about to be eliminated. The “Party of Democratic Action” was the one that hampered any process of change. We were their coalition partners for a long time. But their strategy was to preserve the status quo. They were satisfied with the state of things in which the Muslims could choose the Croatian representatives for collective bodies of government. Since they are the federation’s majority, they were able to select the Muslim and Croatian vice presidents. They abused the Croatians’ trust in them. They were unwilling to give up this influential political tool. We reached a deadlock that did not allow us to move forward. Therefore, at the end of the year, we decided to change our partners in the Muslim-Bosnian community. We signed an agreement with them according to which we will work to solve this annoying problem. When we solve this problem, we will then solve our socioeconomic problems. My goal is to hasten the process of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s integration into the European Union as much as possible. We need to solve this cumbersome political problem not just for my community, the Croatians, but for all of Bosnia and Herzegovina so that it can move forward.”
Q: Can it move forward without renewed violence?
“I think we need mutual understanding, dialogue, and compromise. Making decisions in the nationwide government I am leading is impossible without compromise and consensus. The entire country is founded on consensus, dialogue, and compromise. We all survived the war. Over 100,000 people died in it. None of us are interested in experiencing another war again in the future. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s rectification will happen through dialogue, consensus, and mutual understanding. The solution is to give the three large ethnic populations equal status. This equation will ensure and preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future.”
But you are in a very fragile position under the current international circumstances. On the one hand, is the pro-Russian Republika Srpska which is inspired by Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and speaks again of independence. On the other hand, are the Islamists with their partners in the Muslim world in Iran and Türkiye. Both sides are striving toward crisis. Can this be prevented?
“As I said, the solution to maintaining stability in Bosnia is preserving the rule of equality between the three ethnic groups. Militarization and separatism are not good for Bosnia and Herzegovina since they place its existence as a country under question. I do not think it will be the correct political move for those striving towards disengagement or establishing a monoethnic state. The different entities cannot survive without Bosnia and Herzegovina’s framework since they are a part of this country. The current situation is the only one that has a future.”
Q: Do you feel that international forces are now trying to destroy Bosnia and Herzegovina? Russia? Iran?
“We have little exposure to what happens outside our borders. When we fight amongst ourselves, foreign authorities have more desire to influence what happens here. However, the Bosnian politicians are the only ones who can bring sustainable solutions to our country.”
Source: israelhayom
