On December 2, 2025, the Council for Inclusive Governance (CIG) convened a regional roundtable in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The discussion brought together senior politicians and high-level officials from the six Western Balkan countries to examine BiH’s EU accession prospects and how neighboring countries can support this process. Several officials and politicians from Croatia also took part as did German diplomats. The roundtable was organized as part of a CIG regional project supported by the German Federal Foreign Office (AA) and build on the dialogue initiated during previous project activities.

The discussion focused on BiH’s EU integration path, its relationship with the EU and EU member states, internal structural challenges, and key factors slowing down progress. Participants acknowledged a window of opportunity created by recent geopolitical shifts and the ongoing war in Ukraine, noting that at least two Western Balkan countries—Albania and Montenegro—have a realistic chance of joining the EU in the coming years. They explored how political actors in BiH could generate credible reform momentum, which reforms should be implemented before the 2026 elections, how EU conditionality and broader momentum are influencing domestic politics, and what forms of external support could meaningfully assist BiH in 2026. The report summarizes the main themes and insights from the discussions was prepared by CIG Senior Associate Igor Novakovi?.