Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željko Komšić attended today in Manjača the presentation of the exercise “Combined Effort 22” and the NATO evaluation of the declared unit of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In a press statement, he said that this was a significant activity of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, since a group of light infantry was evaluated, which should confirm that the Armed Forces are interoperable for participation in missions and cooperation with NATO countries according to NATO standards.
“I am sure that it will be a successful assessment because the Armed Forces of BiH show that they are capable of accomplishing great things even in difficult circumstances, even though they are faced with a lack of political support and when it comes to their survival, but also material support,” added Komšić.
The presence of the EU diplomatic corps shows how much interest there is in it, says Komšić, especially in the current situation in Europe.
He also referred to the meeting between the BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik and Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing that everyone is concerned about the Russian position on the extension of the mandate of the EUFOR Althea Mission, since that country has the right of veto in the United Nations Security Council.
“This will certainly complicate the situation, and I think that Putin, if he decides to veto the decision, can cause big headaches not only for us but also for the entire NATO and the European Union.
There is an alternative to EUFOR forces, according to the Dayton Peace Agreement. NATO can take over that mission, but there is no absolute agreement of all NATO member countries for such a thing,” says Komšić.
He wishes that Russia does not decide to veto the extension of Althea’s mission in the Security Council because no one in Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to complicate the security situation and that, first of all, this does not suit the citizens who are fed up with conflicts and uncertainty, Komšić pointed out.
Members of the declared unit of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina presented the basic elements of the exercise ‘Combined Effort 2022’, evaluated by NATO and Partnership for Peace evaluators, and hosted distinguished visitors today at the Manjača military training ground.
Member of the Presidency of BiH Željko Komšić, Minister of Defense of BiH Sifet Podžić, Deputy Minister of Defense of BiH Mirko Okolić, Deputy Chiefs of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of BiH, Major Generals Ivica Jerkić and Gojko Knežević, Inspector General of the MoD of BiH Brigadier General Mirsad Ahnić, Commander of the Operations Command, Major General Radovan Ilić, and Commander of the Support Command, Major General Marko Stojičić, and other representatives of the MoD and Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina attended the presentation of the combat capabilities of the battalion group of light infantry.
In addition to representatives of the MoD and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the event was attended by the commander of the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, Brigadier General Pamela McGaha, Parliamentary Military Commissioner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Boško Šiljegović, and other representatives of state institutions and embassies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Brigadier Slaven Blavicki, who is leading the exercise, addressed the attendees and introduced the guests to the organization of the directorate and the process of conducting the exercise. He also expressed his satisfaction with the dynamics of the implementation of the activity itself.
Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, wished success to the soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers who are conducting the exercise and to those who participated in planning of the exercise, adding that he is convinced that the outcome of the exercise will be positive.
BiH Defense Minister Sifet Podžić pointed out in his address that the final NATO evaluation of a battalion group rank unit is a big undertaking for any army, especially for an army the size of the Armed Forces of BiH.
Commander of the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, Brigadier General Pamela McGaha, stated that this exercise is the culmination of four years of training, which was more and more challenging and demanding from year to year and is an indicator of dedication, hard work and professional attitude of the soldiers towards the mission of the armed forces, announced the BiH Ministry of Defense.