The Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez, together with his deputies Slaven Galić and Aleksandar Goganović and the Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Major General Ivica Jerkić, received the Commander of the Maryland National Guard, Major General Janeen Birckhead, on an official visit on Monday.
General Birckhead is on a multi-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the State Partnership Program (SPP) of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the US state of Maryland. At the official meeting at the headquarters of the BiH Ministry of Defense in Sarajevo, the interlocutors discussed mutual cooperation and the possibilities of further development of the partnership program.
During the meeting, Minister Helez pointed out that the United States of America is the most important ally and foreign policy partner of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He pointed out that the partnership with Maryland, which includes various educational programs and military exercises, helped the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve and reach the standards of NATO member armies.
Together with programs of US assistance in all-terrain vehicles, helicopters and other equipment, the partnership with the Maryland National Guard has significantly helped to raise the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina to a higher level of capability and interoperability with NATO. He pointed out that he will try to extend the benefits of this cooperation to the civil sector as well.
In his address, Deputy Minister for Policy and Planning Galić emphasized that cooperation between the MoD and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the USA is a priority and that it is planned to continue in that direction.
Deputy Minister for Resource Management Goganović stated that the reform of the defense sector is the most successful reform in BiH and that cooperation with the USA certainly helped. He emphasized the importance of cooperation with the USA in the field of developing peace and security in the entire Balkans.
On this occasion, the commander of NG Maryland, General Birckhead, expressed her satisfaction with the results of the partnership with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She emphasized that this cooperation is now more important than ever and that she wants to continue with joint activities. She emphasized that plans that meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be continued and emphasized the importance of joint military exercises, as well as military competitions in Maryland, where members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be among the best.
