“Open Balkans” and Bosnia and Herzegovina: New Opportunity for Ever More Divisions

The goals of this paper are twofold. First, it sheds light on different views and reactions of the political elite in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) regarding the latest regional initiative, the “Open Balkans“. Secondly, it presents a series of pro and contra arguments presented by the experts, diplomats, and analysts that were present in the mainstream media.
The insights are based on the media reporting and public statements, scarce official documents, as well as on several personal interviews with politicians, diplomats, economic experts and think tank researchers. A total of 21 relevant persons were contacted and interviewed on this matter in the summer of 2021.