Israel Opens Chamber of Commerce Office in Republika Srpska

Israel opened a new Chamber of Commerce representative office in Banja Luka, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Serb-majority Republika Srpska, as the two sides seek to deepen their economic ties.

Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli attended Thursday’s inauguration alongside Israeli Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Galit Peleg and senior Republika Srpska officials.

The office is intended to provide a permanent point of contact for Israeli companies seeking investment and business opportunities in Republika Srpska, while helping local companies find Israeli partners and enter the Israeli market.

Israeli businessman Amir Gross Kabiri will head the office. At the opening ceremony, Kabiri and the acting director of Republika Srpska’s International Cooperation Office, Ana Trišić-Babić, signed a memorandum aimed at expanding economic, investment and technological cooperation.

Chikli said the new office should produce practical results rather than serve only as a symbol of the relationship.

“We are not opening another office; we are opening a door,” he said, calling for greater investment, innovation and cooperation between Israeli and local businesses.

Potential areas for cooperation include advanced manufacturing, agriculture, water management and health, according to a message from President Isaac Herzog delivered at the ceremony. Herzog said the office could eventually help strengthen Israeli economic ties throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider Balkan region.

Republika Srpska officials have also expressed interest in using Israeli technology and expertise to develop local industries while offering Israeli businesses access to investment opportunities close to the European Union market.

Milorad Dodik, a prominent Republika Srpska political leader, said the idea for establishing the office arose during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem earlier this year. He said the office would also encourage business delegations to travel between Israel and Banja Luka.

Relations between Israel and Republika Srpska have grown closer in recent years, particularly since the October 7 massacre. Peleg recalled that when Israeli representatives struggled to find a venue in Sarajevo for an October 7 memorial event in 2024, Republika Srpska officials provided a theater in East Sarajevo for the ceremony.