On Monday, the Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, received the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Daniel Hunn, who introduced him to the newly appointed non-resident Swiss military envoy Brigadier Ret Rutsch.
The interlocutors discussed the bilateral military cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Swiss Confederation, and the meeting was attended by the head of the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Salko Beba, as well as the former non-resident Swiss military envoy Brigadier Urs Amiet.
Minister Helez thanked the Swiss ambassador for the significant assistance in funds and personnel training of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He expressed the hope that the Swiss Confederation will in due course have a military envoy who will be permanently stationed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as that the time will soon come when BiH and Switzerland will have official bilateral military cooperation and an annual plan for that cooperation. He thanked the previous military envoy for excellent cooperation, and the newly appointed envoy a good start to his service.
The Swiss Confederation is BiH’s partner in establishing the Training Center for Peace Support Operations (PSOTC/SOOPM), and financially supported the education of several members of the Armed Forces of BiH at the Baltic College, as well as the donation of specialized equipment for transporting liquids. Switzerland also helps with professional support in the establishment of high democratic and professional standards in the reform and management of the security sector, and in the program for dealing with surplus ammunition and mine explosives of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Swiss Ambassador Hunn agreed that, in addition to the mentioned projects, there is room for expanding cooperation, both through bilateral arrangements and through NATO’s Partnership for Peace program, in which both countries participate.
Minister Helez pointed out that BiH’s path to full membership in NATO has no alternative, and he repeatedly thanked Switzerland for all kinds of assistance.
