The Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez, together with the Deputy for Resource Management Aleksandar Goganović, on Friday, June 2, 2023, received the Commander of the NATO Joint Force Command (JFC) based in Naples, US Admiral Stuart Munsch, on an official visit.
The meeting was also attended by the Commander of the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, Brigadier General Pamela McGaha, Assistant Minister of Defense of BiH for International Cooperation Zoran Šajinović, Head of Cabinet of the Minister of Defense of BiH Salko Beba and other associates. The interlocutors discussed the activities and development plans of the Armed Forces of BiH, cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as the security situation in Europe.
Minister Helez highlighted the excellent cooperation with the MoD and the Armed Forces of BiH with NATO Headquarters Sarajevo. He informed Admiral Munsch of the fact that the military budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina was increased by 28 percent for the first time, which was used to improve the status of members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also emphasized the priorities in the implementation of the BiH Reform Program and the BiH Defense Review. He particularly referred to the fact that, after a one-year decision-making hiatus, the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to participate in international peacekeeping missions in Congo, Mali and the Central African Republic, and that initiatives have been launched towards the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to expand Bosnia and Herzegovina’s contribution to UN and NATO missions.
BiH Deputy Defense Minister Goganović also spoke highly of BiH’s cooperation with NATO, and emphasized that this cooperation serves the purpose of peace and stability. He expressed the expectation that a new convocation of the Commission for Cooperation with NATO will be formed as soon as possible, in which Deputy Minister Goganović will serve as vice president. He stressed his belief that the Commission will work to the mutual satisfaction of both Bosnia and Herzegovina and the NATO alliance.
As commander of NATO’s southern wing, Admiral Munsch emphasized that security challenges in Europe require the strengthening of defense capacities and expressed the importance of further supporting the development of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this regard, he pointed out that NATO’s initiative to strengthen the security and defense capacities of BiH, activities within NATO’s Partnership for Peace program, as well as further participation in international peacekeeping missions, will help.
After the meeting at the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Admiral Munsch also visited the Joint Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
