Voices within the international community that have suggested the end of NATO and the transatlantic alliance were effectively countered by the recent address of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference, where he emphasized: “At a time when headlines proclaim the end of the transatlantic era, let it be clear that this is neither our goal nor our desire, because we Americans, even though our home is in the Western Hemisphere, will always remain children of Europe.”
The Institute for Geopolitics, Economy and Security (IGES) calls upon domestic political actors, as well as the strategic partners of Bosnia and Herzegovina, primarily the United States of America, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. to seize the current political momentum and ensure the full integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into NATO’s security system.
The policy pursued for years by Milorad Dodik, which systematically obstructed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path toward NATO membership, appears, according to recent signals, to be undergoing a certain rhetorical transformation, with efforts to reposition itself as pro-American. Precisely for this reason, such a shift must be subjected to a clear and objective test of political credibility.
Any alleged change of course can be validated exclusively through concrete and measurable actions, rather than declarative statements. A genuine test of Dodik’s sincerity would require unequivocal support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s NATO integration, the adoption of legislative solutions that strengthen state-level institutions, and consistent respect for the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Without these elements, any pro-Western rhetoric remains insufficient and legitimately subject to skepticism by both the international community and the domestic public.
A positive signal in this regard is that the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina recently unanimously adopted the Decision on the Reform Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025, which will be submitted to NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Voices within the international community that have suggested the end of NATO and the transatlantic alliance were effectively countered by the recent address of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference, where he emphasized: “At a time when headlines proclaim the end of the transatlantic era, let it be clear that this is neither our goal nor our desire, because we Americans, even though our home is in the Western Hemisphere, will always remain children of Europe.”
With regard to Bosnia and Herzegovina, political and legal stability constitute the key prerequisites for attracting strategic foreign investment. The interest of the United States in investing in energy infrastructure, including the Southern Gas Interconnection, as well as in the defense industry and other resources of strategic importance, opens a significant development perspective for Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the long term security of such investments can be ensured exclusively through NATO membership and accelerated integration into the European Union. Without a clear Euro-Atlantic anchor, serious and capital-intensive investments remain exposed to political and security risks.
An additional, yet fundamentally important prerequisite for a more substantial inflow of capital is the final resolution of the issue of state property. Property must be registered to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws. This represents a foundational legal issue that must be resolved in order for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s resources to be placed in the function of development. Any fragmentation of state property along entity lines would create legal uncertainty, send a negative signal to investors, and potentially open space for destabilization by anti-Western geopolitical actors. The rule of law is not a political option, but a fundamental value of the Euro-Atlantic system, grounded in security, legal predictability, and economic stability.
Based on the foregoing, IGES considers this to be a decisive moment for adopting clear and strategically grounded decisions, as well as for testing the genuine commitment of domestic political actors to Euro-Atlantic integration.
For these reasons, the time for NATO is now!