Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović held a meeting today with the Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States Allison Hooker at the State Department building in Washington. Undersecretary Hooker is one of the highest-ranking officials in the US State Department, responsible for managing and overseeing all bureaus and diplomatic networks around the world, including the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia.
Bećirović expressed gratitude to the people and government of the US for their continued and comprehensive support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He said that Bosnia and Herzegovina has concretely proven itself to be a reliable partner and ally of the US. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a credible member of the global coalition to combat terrorism, and the BiH security services have achieved a high level of cooperation with the US security services. The Armed Forces of BiH have participated in peace support operations and anti-terrorist operations together with the US military.
The Member of the Presidency of BiH pointed to the possibilities of strengthening economic cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the US. In this context, he particularly emphasized the importance of the Southern Gas Interconnection, as a strategic project that has economic, political, security and energy significance.
“This project contributes to energy security, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is positioning itself as part of the American energy network. The construction of the Southern Gas Interconnection is a test that will show which political actors are ready to strengthen the strategic partnership with the USA through concrete actions,” said Bećirović.
In addition to the Southern Gas Interconnection, he pointed to investment opportunities in the energy, infrastructure, tourism and defense-industrial cooperation sectors, with a clear message that Bosnia and Herzegovina offers a stable, predictable and partnership framework for American companies.
Bećirović reiterated the position that the priority foreign policy goal of Bosnia and Herzegovina is full membership in NATO.
“Our country is an aspirant for NATO membership, which has an activated Membership Action Plan (MAP). Five annual national programs (ANP) have been submitted, which in Bosnia and Herzegovina are called the BiH Reform Program,” he stated.
The BiH Presidency Member highlighted the very good cooperation in the areas of security and defense to date, with the possibility of further improvement. He stressed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s readiness to continue joint efforts to build Bosnia and Herzegovina’s defense capabilities.
Bećirović said that American leadership is of key importance for the protection of peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. In this context, he pointed to the importance of the OHR as one of the key factors in preserving stability in accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Undersecretary of State Hooker confirmed the strong commitment of the United States to an independent, sovereign, and stable Bosnia and Herzegovina, and support for the Dayton Peace Agreement, the Office of BiH Presidency Member Denis Bećirović announced.
