The Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez, together with the Deputy Ministers for Policies and Plans and Resource Management – Slaven Galić and Aleksandar Goganović, received today the delegation of the European Union (EU), led by the Director of the European External Affairs Service Angelina Eichhorst.
The meeting was also attended by the head of the Office for Foreign Policy Instruments of the European External Action Service, Peter Wagner, and the head of the EU Delegation and the EU’s special representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Johann Sattler.
The meeting between the leaders of the BiH Ministry of Defense and the EU Delegation precedes today’s handover ceremony of demining and medical vehicles, which will take place in the “Rajlovac” Barracks of the Armed Forces of BiH (OSBiH).
It is a donation that the European Union is donating to the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the first tranche of the European Instrument for Peace (EPF) in the amount of 10 million euros.
“The demining and medical vehicles that we receive today add additional value to our overall demining capacities and capabilities. The donation to our demining battalion is very important to us, especially since it came at a time when we are celebrating the Day of the BiH Armed Forces,” said Minister Helez, adding that the BiH Armed Forces want to be regional leaders in the demining process.
He praised the activities of the European Union, as well as NATO, which, through their military and political mechanisms, contributed to the extension of the Althea EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, saying that EUFOR has an important role in preserving peace and security.
He also emphasized the necessity of strengthening the dynamics of fulfilling 14 priorities for the start of negotiations for EU membership.
“The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are the best integrated part of society, and I would like the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina to function like the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” concluded Helez.
The Director of the European Service for Foreign Affairs, Angelina Eichhorst, emphasized that cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is a candidate country, is at an excellent level, and expressed her desire to continue even greater and stronger engagement both with Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Armed Forces of BiH.
“This aid instrument was used for the first time and I am glad that today we can provide this kind of support to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Eichhorst and added that she was looking forward to today’s handover ceremony of demining and medical vehicles.
Deputy Ministers Galić and Goganović also expressed their gratitude to the Delegation of the European Union for the valuable donation, and concluded that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path to the European Union has no alternative.
The meeting between the two delegations continues during the day at the “Rajlovac” barracks of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the handover ceremony of demining and medical vehicles will be held, announced the Public Relations Office of the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
