International relations expert Luciano Kaluža says it is essential to build relations with Germany based on an understanding of the new U.S. national strategy, as this concept will be politically dominant in the Western Balkans and in BiH.
He emphasized that, aside from the United States, Europe should be the key partner for Republika Srpska and BiH, and that Germany’s position on developments in the Western Balkans and in BiH is among the most important.
However, Kaluža noted that Germany is at a crossroads — its stance still reflects old, unipolar-world policies, which diverge from the new U.S. national strategy.
He pointed out that the debate in the Bundestag marking 30 years of the Dayton Peace Agreement showed Germany remains on the trajectory of its previous approaches. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul spoke about potential centralisation and strengthening of BiH-level institutions, while the new U.S. strategy does not promote such ideas, instead favouring broader powers for the entities and the constituent peoples.
During the debate, Alternative for Germany MP Alexander Wolf stated that modern democracy cannot exist without national identity and that ethnic peoples play a crucial role in BiH. He stressed that BiH cannot survive without the principles of Dayton, and that attacks on the agreement only inflame tensions in the region.
Wolf added that Christians — Serbs and Croats — in BiH do not want to become minorities in their own country.
Source: RTRS
