Israel opened a Chamber of Commerce office in Banja Luka, formalizing its growing economic partnership with Republika Srpska. Israeli Diaspora Minister Chikli and Dodik attended alongside RS and Israeli officials. Dodik has tied the office to plans for $2 billion in joint projects. The economic push sits on a political relationship that intensified after October 2023, with Dodik calling RS "the Israel of the Balkans" and receiving a Knesset award in January 2026. RS has maintained a representative office in Jerusalem since 1998. The partnership accelerated after the US lifted sanctions on Dodik in October 2025.