Elmedin Konaković urges EU sanctions against Serbian officials

Bosnia and Herzegovina Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković has formally requested that the European Union impose sanctions on Serbian officials. The request follows the funeral of Ratko Mladić in Belgrade, which was attended by prominent Serbian government figures and led by Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Konaković expressed deep concern regarding the glorification of Mladić, a convicted war criminal, stating that the presence of state officials at the ceremony constitutes a direct insult to genocide victims and a challenge to international criminal justice. He characterized the event as an affront to European values.

In response, Aleksandar Vranješ, the Bosnian Ambassador to Serbia, criticized Konaković’s actions as malicious and outside his legal jurisdiction. Vranješ argued that the Foreign Minister does not have the authority to dictate diplomatic relations or unilaterally manage embassy personnel, noting that diplomatic staff are state employees with legal protections against arbitrary reassignment.