Israel has opened its first trade office in Banja Luka, the administrative center of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The office was established to deepen and expand economic and business ties between Israel and the Bosnian Serb republic.
The new chamber of commerce aims to leverage the warm relations between Israel and Republika Srpska and give them practical economic meaning by promoting trade, attracting mutual investment, fostering broad cooperation, and helping Israeli companies and businesses enter the local market.
1+The move marks another significant step in strengthening political ties, following meetings over the past year between Republika Srpska leader Milorad Dodik and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and President Isaac Herzog. The opening ceremony was attended by former president Dodik, current president Sinisa Karan, and senior members of the republic’s leadership. Israel was represented by Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, Israeli Ambassador to Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina Galit Peleg, and Amir Kabiri, who will head the trade office.
1+During the ceremony, President Karan awarded medals of honor to Minister Chikli and Ambassador Peleg in recognition of their contribution to strengthening ties. The ambassador read a written greeting from President Herzog. Chikli said during the visit that relations between the two sides have a deep foundation of friendship, especially since the October 7 attack, and stressed that Israel does not forget its friends and stands by those who stood by it. As part of the visit, Chikli also met with local Jewish community leaders and visited the memorial room honoring the tens of thousands murdered in the Jasenovac concentration camps.