Thewesternbalkans
CIA Director William Burns visited Sarajevo on August 20 to discuss the “troubling separatist rhetoric and actions” of the pro-Russian president of Republika Srpska, a US government source told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
According media reports in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burns held meetings with Bosnian government and intelligence officials, including members of the presidency and the foreign minister. The main topics were the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
During his meeting with Burns, BiH Intelligence and Security Agency Director Almir Juvo confirmed that the US representative expressed support for intelligence cooperation between the two countries.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elmedin Konakovic, stated that during the talks, the full support of the US for the territorial integrity of BiH and categorical condemnation of the separatist statements and actions was confirmed. Konakovic emphasized that the US administration is clearly positioned to support BiH as its foreign policy partner.
According to Margarita Asenova, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, Burns’ visit sends a clear signal to Serbia that its actions in the region will not be tolerated. She noted that destabilizing the Balkans would serve the Kremlin’s interests by diverting attention from the war in Ukraine.
The meeting of William Burns with members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina was also attended by Željka Cvijanović, who is under sanctions by the US Treasury Department for threats to the Dayton Agreement.
After his visit to Sarajevo, the CIA director arrived at Tuesday evening in Belgrade, where he is hosted by the Serbian intelligence service Bezbjednosno-informativna agencija (BIA), headed by Vladimir Orlić.
Comments: William Burns is extremely knowledgeable about the Balkans and his visit is a good sign for the region as the situation in the Balkans is very tense. The visit demonstrates the increased attention to the region by the Biden administration, which does not want trouble ahead of the US election. Although the official announcements do not contain many details, it is certain that the main topic of the talks in Sarajevo was secessionism, expressed increasingly by the president of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik. The visit is also a clear signal from Washington of strong support for BiH’s Euro-Atlantic path.
For the US and its allies, BiH’s military assets and its rapprochement with NATO are of particular interest. BiH practically does not buy weapons from abroad, but it constantly increases the export of small arms. For the first six months of 2024, arms and ammunition exports from BiH were 309 million BAM (176 million US dollar), which is 37 % more than the same period of the last year. The largest buyer is the United States, which accounts for almost a third of Bosnia’s arms exports. Recently, American companies have begun to buy shares in Bosnian military industry enterprises. The company Regulus Global, working in cooperation with the U.S. Special Operations Command, in April 2024 took over 33 percent of the shares of Pretis from Vogošća and a minority package of shares from Binas from Bugojno.
Certainly, the visit of W. Burns is aimed at supporting the work and strengthening of state institutions in BiH, as well as maintaining the partnership and support for the local Intelligence and Security Agency (OSA).
Against the background of the wide media coverage of the CIA chief’s visit to Sarajevo, there is no official confirmation of his visit in Belgrade and no media coverage. William Burns’ stay in Sarajevo and Belgrade is a sign that the US views the Western Balkans region as a single entity and is willing to provide one last opportunity for stabilization and regional cooperation.
