NATO’s Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska met with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who also participated in a meeting of the North Atlantic Council. Ms Shekerinska underlined NATO’s unwavering commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the importance that lasting peace and security in the country and stability across the Western Balkans have for security in the Euro-Atlantic area. She welcomed the useful exchange of views, and the continuation of a robust high-level dialogue between NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Deputy Secretary General hailed important achievements made during NATO’s long-standing partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on political dialogue and practical cooperation, and facilitated by NATO’s enhanced presence in Sarajevo. She underscored NATO’s readiness to strengthen the cooperation, building on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first Individually Tailored Partnership Programme adopted last year, the optimised implementation of the country’s Reform Programme, and NATO’s enhanced support through its Defence Capacity Building Programme.
The Deputy Secretary General highlighted that comprehensive reforms spearheaded by the country’s authorities are critical to establish a conducive framework, through which NATO can continue to deliver its tailored support more effectively. “NATO already provides robust enablers of reforms, but their full potential can only be reached if matched by a credible national effort, including through the allocation of a higher budget in support to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the Deputy Secretary General emphasised, adding that “in today’s more dangerous world, we all need to invest more in our own defence and resilience; both NATO Allies and partners.”
Ms. Shekerinska also reiterated that NATO stands firmly behind the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and continues to support the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic paths.
