Relationship dossier
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Relationship assessment
Cooperation on European integration and postwar recovery, alongside the enduring Srebrenica legacy
Bosnia and Herzegovina toward Kingdom of the Netherlands
+20Bosnia and Herzegovina has engaged in bilateral cooperation with the Netherlands, including through agreements and collaboration related to postwar governance and European integration. The precise scope of direct government initiatives is unclear.
Kingdom of the Netherlands toward Bosnia and Herzegovina
+35The Netherlands has supported Bosnia and Herzegovina’s postwar recovery and European integration, including through assistance and participation in international efforts supporting the country’s stability and reform.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship combines Dutch support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s recovery and European integration with bilateral cooperation. Its history is also marked by the Netherlands’ role in Dutchbat during the Srebrenica genocide and subsequent Dutch legal and political scrutiny of that role.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands have a cooperative relationship shaped by Dutch support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European integration and postwar recovery, alongside bilateral cooperation. The legacy of Dutchbat’s role during the Srebrenica genocide remains a significant historical dimension, though it does not define the full relationship.
Areas of tension
- The legacy of Dutchbat’s role in the Srebrenica genocide remains a sensitive historical issue.
Key developments
The Netherlands deployed Dutchbat as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian war; the unit was present during the Srebrenica genocide.
The Netherlands has supported Bosnia and Herzegovina’s postwar recovery and efforts toward European integration.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation in areas such as justice and public administration are unclear.
- The extent of current Dutch government assistance and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s participation in bilateral initiatives is uncertain.