Bevanda: Full NATO Membership Is Strategic Goal of BIH

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Vjekoslav Bevanda received in Sarajevo Deputy Secretary-General of NATO Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, with whom he discussed the Euro-Atlantic Integrations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Chairman Bevanda said that NATO contribution to the peace-building and to general stabilisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is invaluable, as is its support to in the BIH Armed Forces reform efforts. Underlining that NATO membership has no alternative, Chairman Bevanda said that it is a strategic goal of our country that other than stabilising the security environment in our country would also bring about a guarantee of economic and political stability of the country and entire region needed both by citizens of BIH and by prospective investors. Chairman Bevanda reminded that Bosnia and Herzegovina has already had a successful cooperation with NATO through its armed forces’ participation in the ISAF Mission in Afghanistan.

Chairman Bevanda informed Ambassador Vershbow on the course of the solution-fining to the issue of military property. He said that an agreement was reached and expressed his expectations that its technical implementation will be finalised as soon as possible to in order to activate BIH’s Action Plan for NATO membership (MAP).

Ambassador Vershbow said that it would be vitally important for stability of the state and region that Bosnia and Herzegovina joins the NATO Alliance. He expressed his satisfaction with the reform process thus far, including the integration of the BIH Armed Forces, highlighting that through its participation in international missions, Bosnia AND Herzegovina has already contributed actively to the global peace.

Ambassador Vershbow said the agreement reached on military property in BIH is an encouraging development in view of NATO, and added that the agreement implementation is expected from BIH in order to launch MAP.

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