The first Diaspora Forum was held in Banja Luka on February 24 and 25, 2018, under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik. The forum was attended by the highest officials of Srpska (Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska Željka Cvijanović, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska Nedeljko Čubrilović, numerous ministers from the Government of Srpska), Secretary General of the President of Serbia Nikola Selaković and representatives of public, political, church and social life of Srpska. The first Diaspora Forum gathered about 150 participants from 26 countries, including prominent university professors, cultural workers, businessmen, members of state, provincial and local parliaments, representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, unions, associations, cultural, humanitarian, student and other organizations.

Within the first Diaspora Forum, panels were organized: "Cultural and scientific networking with the Diaspora and humanitarian activities" and "Economic potentials of cooperation between the Republic of Srpska and the Diaspora".

Numerous initiatives related to finding a permanent mechanism for cooperation with the diaspora and Serbs abroad appeared at the first Diaspora Forum. Based on the mentioned initiatives, in 2019, the Government of the Republika Srpska established the Department for Institutional Cooperation and Diaspora within the Ministry of European Integration and International Cooperation as an institutional point for cooperation with the Diaspora.