When the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) adopts the document “Reform Program of BiH 2025”, which is currently in the procedure of public consultations, it will be another step toward full membership in the NATO Alliance, said the chairman of the Commission for Cooperation with NATO and the deputy minister of foreign affairs of BiH, Josip Brkic.
Role of the Commission and public consultations
The Commission published the Draft document and invited the expert and wider public to participate in public consultations through the digital platform eConsultations. Also, the Commission concluded that, besides state institutions, the wider public should be included in the process of public consultations. After the consultations, the Draft should be found on the session of the Council of Ministers of BiH, scheduled for October 30th.
BiH, on October 23rd in Brussels, adopted the Individual Tailored Partnership Program (ITPP) with NATO, which is valid for the period 2025-2028. This document represents a new strategic framework of cooperation between BiH and NATO, in accordance with the concept “One partner, one plan”.
“Every year we adopt the so-called reform program, and for the year 2025, which the Commission for Cooperation with NATO prepared and sent for public discussion. The structure of the document is identical to earlier programs; it encompasses five key areas – rule of law, economy, resources, and other segments, which the institutions of BiH plan to carry out this year. When the Council of Ministers adopts the document, it will be another step in the process of the Action Plan for membership, which leads us toward full membership in NATO,” emphasized Brkic.
Structure and goals of the Reform Program of BiH 2025
The chairman of the Commission for Cooperation with NATO added that ITPP represents the concrete implementation of reforms planned for the year 2025 and that the document defines concrete tasks which the institutions of BiH plan to carry out. The first ITPP adopted in Brussels represents a new strategic framework of cooperation between BiH and NATO.
The document unites all previous mechanisms of cooperation, including the annual national program (ANP), capacity building in the defense sector, interoperability, reforms of the security sector, and improvement of civil-military cooperation.
ITPP is based on the principle of joint ownership, which means that NATO and BiH equally define priorities and activities. The goal is achieving concrete results – strengthening institutions, fighting corruption, professionalization of the Armed Forces of BiH (AFBiH), increasing transparency in reforms, and strengthening the international position of BiH as a reliable partner.
The program is aligned with the Membership Action Plan (MAP), the last phase before the formal invitation of BiH for full membership in the Alliance.
MAP allows NATO to monitor the progress of the country in key areas: reform of the defense sector, rule of law, political stability, and democratic standards.
Reactions of experts and former officials
BiH has participated in MAP since 2010.
“This is one of the most important documents in recent times. Besides the regular sending of the reform program to NATO, due to political will, there is still no consensus on joining the Alliance. We know that we have always had resistance from representatives from the entity Republika Srpska (RS), but the situation in the world, especially Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, sends a clear signal to small countries like ours that they should accept what we signed. This document gives us hope that we are almost at the end and that NATO will probably be the most privileged toward BiH. Our soldiers already fulfill NATO standards, which is commendable, and the public must know that,” assessed Dijana Gupta, president of the Atlantic Council of BiH.
Marina Pendes, former minister of defense of BiH, said that every cooperation with NATO from Brussels shows that BiH has made a significant stride.
“Our delegation in Brussels has done everything so that BiH in international circles is recognized as a country that seriously works on reforms. The values which are valid in the European Union (EU), such as the rule of law and the fight against corruption, are also valid in NATO, and BiH continuously progresses in this,” emphasized Pendes.
ITPP is a continuation of the partnership, not automatic membership
According to the words of Mirko Okolic, former deputy minister of defense of BiH, ITPP represents a continuation of the partnership with NATO, and not automatic membership.
“It is about strategic cooperation – the political will for full membership in recent times has not significantly changed. The focus is still on the technical implementation of reforms. I think that after public discussions, that document will come to the Council of Ministers, and the question remains how they will proceed further,” stated Okolic and underlined that in recent times, political consensus regarding the accession of BiH to NATO has not changed.
“It is constantly spoken about cooperation with NATO. What goes in the goal of cooperation with NATO, when it comes to technical things, is alright, and there I do not see any change,” said Okolic.
The chairman of the Commission with NATO added that the process of adoption is standardized and that it is based on the experience of previous years.
Challenges – political consensus and the position of RS
Although NATO and domestic actors welcome ITPP, the key obstacle remains the lack of political consensus within BiH.
Especially noticeable is the opposition in the entity RS, where authorities express reservations toward membership in NATO.
Dijana Gupta emphasizes that political will in the country is not equal.
“RS has often attempted to distance the entity from the process, but now, considering the geopolitical situation, the political discourse in BiH is optimistic and focused on Euro-Atlantic integrations,” she stated.
The adoption of ITPP represents a historic step, as stated by the Ministry of Defense of BiH, which confirms that BiH has the capacity and will for structured cooperation with NATO.
ITPP, as the main tool of NATO for coordination with partners, defines all aspects of cooperation of BiH and NATO in a strategic and goal-oriented framework, emphasizing key goals of the country in the context of Euro-Atlantic integrations.
The first ITPP of BiH with NATO is a practical and strategic document that confirms that the country works on fulfilling the technical standards of MAP.
The adoption of the document in Brussels and the expected steps in the Council of Ministers of BiH represent a signal of international support, but the final outcome – a formal invitation for membership still depends on the political consensus within the country and the decisions of NATO member states.
Until political consensus is achieved, BiH continues to implement reforms, report on progress, and strengthen the capacities of its institutions and Armed Forces, showing the international community readiness for partnership and integration into the Alliance.
BiH is currently in the phase of the MAP in NATO, which means that it is one step from full membership, but has not yet received an official invitation to join the Alliance.
Since 2010, BiH has been a participant of the MAP, which represents the last preparatory phase before a formal invitation for membership.
MAP allows NATO to monitor the progress of the country in key areas such as reform of the defense sector, rule of law, political stability, and democratic standards.
According to the Law on Defense of BiH, which was adopted in 2005, institutions are obliged to carry out all necessary activities for the admission of BiH into NATO membership.
