The Role of Religion in Diplomacy in Former Yugoslav States Case Study of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia

Abstract

At the end of the 20th and the beginning of the turbulent 21st century, we are witnessing that religion has not been separated from the state and has not lost its place in private life, or in the social public. Religion proves itself to be a deeply studied subject which speaks to its complexity as a social phenomenon that cannot be simply explained or predicted. The paper tries to answer the questions of how religion can have an impact on diplomatic relations between countries, what are the potentials of religion in escalating and deescalating conflicts, what are the differences and similarities in this regard between Catholicism, Christian Orthodoxy, and Islam. To address the broader question of religion and diplomacy, this paper relies on the case study of three post-Yugoslav countries that emerged during the late 90s following the conflicts in Yugoslavia. Croatia, the predominantly Catholic country, Bosnia and Herzegovina as the religiously most diverse country but with a large Islamic population, and Serbia as the case study for Orthodox Christianity and Diplomacy. Through the investigation and close reading of documents, articles, and accounts dating from the war period through the 90s, this paper recognizes the significant involvement of three major religions in their state’s internal and external relations. Given each religion's unique cultural, historical, political, and social characteristics, their involvement in state affairs differs but is guided by the same goals of peace and cohabitation.