The Minister of Defense of BiH Zukan Helez received today the Ambassador of the Republic of France to BiH François Delmas, with whom he discussed bilateral defense cooperation, the current security situation in the world, and the activities of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of BiH.
During the meeting, the previous good bilateral cooperation between the two countries was highlighted, which has been implemented since 2008 based on annual bilateral cooperation plans in the field of training officers of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republic of France, learning the French language and demining. In this context, the interlocutors expressed their desire to continue this practice in the future.
Minister Helez informed Ambassador Delmas about the cooperation plan for 2024, within which a position at the War School in France is also planned, for which Minister Helez expressed his gratitude to the Republic of France.
Regarding current world events, the interlocutors discussed the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The ambassador reminded that 30 Frenchmen were killed in the Hamas attack, and seven of them went missing.
The interlocutors expressed concern about the suffering of innocent victims and the need to protect civilians. They emphasized the necessity of humanitarian action and finding a sustainable solution in order to avoid the spread of the conflict.
Minister Helez informed Ambassador Delmas about the importance of the EUFOR mission in BiH and the increase in the number of members in the mission, 14 priorities for opening negotiations with the European Union, and reiterated that Bosnia and Herzegovina has no alternative when it comes to joining the European Union and NATO.
Ambassador Delmas emphasized that EUFOR in BiH has a stabilizing role and recalled the support that France provides to these forces. He welcomed the military-political dialogue between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of France, and supported BiH’s efforts in achieving its strategic goals.
In the end, the interlocutors expressed expectations for the expansion of bilateral relations between the two countries in the field of defense, all with the aim of creating more operable joint forces for participation in EU and NATO missions – the Ministry of Defense of BiH announced.
