On the early occasion, we wrote about the relations between the EU and NATO on several occasions, but this time we want to focus on an important aspect of their cooperation and how that specific aspect refers to the Western Balkans and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Cooperation offered
From the Russian annexation of the Crimony in 2014, relations between the West and Russia gradually deteriorated, and today they are at the lowest point since the end of the Cold War, they are still in the descending path. Due to the tense relationship, which came from that, the EU currently sees Russia as a potential threat.
The aspect of EU and NATO cooperation in which we will address about the construction and adaptation of civilian infrastructure for the needs of military formations, in the case of Russian invasion of NATO countries.
According to NATO documents, there are five main transport routes relevant to this story, and as many as three of them are related to our region. The first route is moving from the Dutch ports, where military equipment, weapons, ammunition, troops and other logistics from America and Canada should arrive, then by Germany towards Poland, further towards the border with Russia. The second route moves from Italy and goes through Slovenia and Croatia, through Hungary and touches in part of our region. The third route leads from Greek routes to Bulgaria and Romania and should supply the Black Sea Front. This route is also interesting because the extension of that corridor through Serbia could lead to Hungary if NATO would make some kind of arrangement with Serbia. NATO, according to its documents, is separately observed by the route from Turkey to Bulgaria and Romania, because it is two European Corridors E-80 and E-87. The E-80 route goes from Bulgaria through Serbia, Montenegro and leads to the port of Ploče, passing through BiH. According to the data we managed, NATO takes part of these corridors to Bulgaria and Romania in their documents, if it continues to strengthen cooperation with the Alliance, to supply the eastern part of the Alliance with this route.
BiH should pay attention to these corridors because the EU, within its Action Plan for military mobility from November 2022. year offered cooperation and the countries of the Western Balkans on financing and helping the construction and maintenance of strategically important military corridors.
Namely, the European Union significantly increases the defense allocations, and within these allocations are not procured only by new weapons and equipment but builds and improves the infrastructure that should support defense activities.
“The EU is ready to share their best practices in the improvement of military mobility with regional partners and countries within the Western Balkans, in terms of full institutional barriers and delays in converting infrastructure for dual use,” stands in this document.
Clarges are working, semi-detached use is a term that implies civil equipment and infrastructure that can also be used for military purposes. For example, civilian drones may be considered equipment for dual use, as they can also be used as scout, and even as attack drones in the fighting, as the practice showed in Ukraine. In terms of infrastructure, ports, roads, railroads, rivers and river infrastructure – ie all what can support the transport of military equipment and logistics may be implied.
Quality of life
The Union will significantly increase the investments in the infrastructure for dual use, including potential projects with partner countries, such as the Western Balkans. Examples works, within the Security Action for Europe (SAPE) from March this year, as many as 800 billion euros are planned for these projects in the next few years, and the Western Balkans are explicitly listed as a potential beneficiary of this money for adequate projects.
The EU, as well as NATO, considers that investment in the military and appropriate infrastructure is the best means of deterrent from a potential attack. If the war is avoided, all this infrastructure remains for civilian use, which can only increase the quality of life of all citizens on the continent, writes Liberation.
