Minister of Internal Affairs of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina calls for a joint front against Serbia

The Minister of Internal Affairs of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ramo Isak, said on 7 September 2026 that the glorification of Hague convict Ratko Mladić in Serbia and in the Republika Srpska entity represents a direct security threat to Bosnia and to the entire Balkans. He called on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Croatia and Albania to create a joint front against those phenomena.

Isak calls for regional coordination and strengthened EU measures

On foreign policy and security, Isak said: "the zero priority of foreign policy and security is a stronger link of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and all other states in the region that have an interest that the Balkans never again become a space where territorial claims, ethnic nationalism and the rehabilitation of wartime policies turn into violence."

He emphasized that he was speaking about "creating a front against the fanatic Chetnik ideology in Serbia," assessing that the political manifestations of that ideology jeopardize regional stability.

Isak added that "its political manifestations represent a direct threat to the constitutional and legal order, security, democracy and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Croatia and Albania."

According to him, "in Serbia and in the BiH entity Republika Srpska, the glorification of the war criminal Ratko Mladić has reached such a level of political, social and institutional legitimacy that it can no longer be described as marginal nationalism."

Isak recalled the stance of the European Union: "The EU has clearly stated that the glorification of war criminals, the denial of genocide and historical revisionism have no place either in the European Union or in candidate countries. That message must have concrete consequences." He called on the Council of the EU to change the existing regime of restrictive measures, by introducing as a separate and explicit basis for sanctions the public glorification of persons legally convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as the denial of legally established genocide and other international crimes, and their revisionist attempts to justify them.

Photo: press material from the event