Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said after the meeting with the delegation of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina that the Western Balkans is of strategic importance for NATO and that their commitment to stability in our region is strong and long-term.
Admiral Dragone, who is on a two-day visit to BiH, pointed out that the current global security situation requires the engagement of all participants, and that is why partnerships are important to NATO.
“We are an Alliance consisting of 32 countries, but we have friends all over the world, from Asia to Africa, the Middle East, even to South America. NATO and its members are aware that global cooperation is beneficial for all those involved in it and that we all contribute to improving the security of the wider international community. Therefore, the partnership between NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina is no different in this sense,” he said.
Partnership for Peace
He reminded that BiH joined the Partnership for Peace program in 2006, stressing that cooperation with the Alliance dates back to an earlier period.
He noted that during his stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he will meet with the political and military leadership of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which underlines the practical cooperation between NATO and our country.
“In addition, today I already had meetings with the commanders of the NATO headquarters in Sarajevo and EUFOR. Aware of the events in the world, we must explain to the general public that proper investment in defense and security is extremely important,” emphasized the chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
He pointed out that the Western Balkans occupies a high place on NATO’s agenda, stressing that it is a region of strategic importance for the Alliance.
“Our commitment to stability in this region is strong and will remain so. We will not allow a security vacuum to appear,” he said.
NATO continuously invests in security institutions
Deputy Minister of Defense Slaven Galić, who led the delegation of the Ministry of Defense and the BiH Armed Forces, pointed out that the presence of the NATO headquarters in Sarajevo, together with EUFOR forces, has a key role in preserving the stability and security of BiH, stressing that security and stability are the basis of economic development.
He added that NATO continuously invests in security institutions, primarily the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that within the five-year plan, around 35 million euros are foreseen through various programs, those that have already been implemented, as well as those that are yet to be implemented.
He pointed out the importance of cooperation with the NATO headquarters in Sarajevo and cooperation with EUFOR, emphasizing the practical benefit that units of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina have through exercises, training and other activities that improve their readiness.
Bosnia and Herzegovina committed to membership in NATO
At the end of his address to the media, the Deputy Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to membership in NATO and that this is the ultimate strategic goal of our country.
Today’s meeting was also attended by the Chief of the Joint Staff of the BiH Armed Forces, Colonel General Gojko Knežević and his deputies.
The admiral, who presides over NATO’s highest military body, will also visit the Office of the High Representative (OHR), the EUFOR command, the NATO headquarters in Sarajevo and the Faculty of Criminal Sciences of the University of Sarajevo, writes Focus.
