Unlike the diametrically opposed positions of officials from the Republika Srpska (RS) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) on the issue of NATO integration, cooperation with NATO in BiH is only a possibility for now. The Commission for Cooperation with NATO instructed the relevant ministries to submit what they expect from the reform program for 2023, which, after coordination, will be sent to the BiH Council of Ministers for adoption.
There is not a security but a political crisis in BiH, according to the assessment of the Deputy Minister of Defense of BiH. He admits that many things were not done from that reform program – neither the defense plan nor the modernization plan. He says that the program of reforms for this year has not yet been agreed upon.
“If the NATO Alliance and the Secretary-General say that they are satisfied with NATO cooperation, which is the official position of the RS, colleagues from political Sarajevo should not insist on NATO integration, but support cooperation with NATO,” said Aleksandar Goganovic, Deputy Minister of Defense of BiH.
In RS, both the ruling majority and the opposition are against BiH joining NATO. In 2017, the National Assembly of RS (NARS) repealed the Resolution on joining NATO forces and adopted a new Resolution on military neutrality.
“That resolution on military neutrality speaks of the fact that with the consent of the RS, that is, without a change in the constitution and the consent of the entities, no military integration can be started. Since this agreement does not exist, it is impossible to join NATO,” said Nenad Stevandic, president of the NARS.
For the dean at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo, BiH is on the doorstep of NATO.
“The message that is related to security, especially about the secessionist rhetoric, is at the same time a message that says that in order to become a member, you have to find a solution to the key sources of destabilization,” Sead Turcalo explained, Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo.
BiH fulfills all the conditions of the partnership for peace and participates in military exercises with NATO. According to military analyst Djuro Kozar, the visit of the Secretary-General of NATO to our country is support for BiH to continue to be a partner.
“This means that NATO considers us its partner and helps us in the event of any danger that could disrupt public order and peace and security in BiH,” said Djuro Kozar, military-political analyst.
“In these conditions of division, the best solution is military neutrality, but of course that does not mean that we should not cooperate with the NATO alliance and be a partner in those areas that are important for BiH,” Drago Vukovic, political analyst, stated.
According to a survey by the non-governmental organization Atlantic Initiative, 62 percent of the citizens of BiH have a positive attitude towards the activities of NATO. The reason for support for the majority is security, and the reason for opposition is the bombing of RS and Serbia.
E.Dz.
