Bosnia and Herzegovina: Democratic Resilience

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Excerpts

Tuesday 25th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

We are of course aware that other countries have decided to lift their sanctions, and that is a matter for them. For the time being, we are going to keep our sanctions in place. These were taken after careful consideration and we have no plans to lift them at this stage, although, as my noble friend will appreciate, we do not make any comment on future plans or designations.

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, following on from the noble Lord’s Question, it is 30 years on from the Dayton accords and we have recently seen a snap election in the Republika Srpska, so what is His Majesty’s Government’s assessment of the stability within greater Bosnia and the integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina? Linked to that, given the recent developments in Ukraine and Russia’s support for Republika Srpska, what assessments have been made of further instability in that part of the world?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

We are now 30 years on, almost to the day, from the Dayton peace agreement. Noble Lords should know that we are concerned by developments in the western Balkans and the fragility of the situation there—which, I have to say, is not helped by the now former leader in Srpska or by the activities of Russia in the region, which are aimed at destabilisation, misinformation and undermining democracy. We work closely with our allies and partners, and we are part of the Quint and a signatory to Dayton. It is our responsibility to maintain that focus so that the agreement, which was signed 30 years ago, can continue to maintain stability and peace in the western Balkans.