Annex IV of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Defense of BiH and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) was signed today, as part of the Norwegian People’s Aid project “Support to demining battalion of the Armed Forces of BiH in the emergency demining of areas affected by floods and landslides,” whose implementation will be financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The memorandum was signed in the presence of representatives of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany by the Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zekerijah Osmić and NPA Regional Director for South East Europe Darvin Lisica.
The project entails purchase of equipment (metal detectors, chain saws, trimmers and spare parts) for the needs of the demining battalion of the BiH Armed Forces.
Signing of the document was welcomed by Deputy Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Adrian Pollman, who reminded of the severe natural disasters that hit BiH in May this year and stressed his country’s determination to support planned rehabilitation of the consequences of floods.
The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, as he said, immediately decided to provide support to the assistance plan, promising immediate aid in the amount of one million Euros intended primarily to remove the danger of mines that have been shifted from their previous locations due to unprecedented floods in BiH.
The Federal Republic of Germany has for many years been engaged in supporting the demining process in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for this purpose it has secured a total of 27 million Euros, and thus in the most direct way supported the creation of safe environment for the life and work of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
NPA Regional Director for South East Europe Darwin Lisica expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany and the country’s embassy in BiH for their willingness to assist the demining battalion of the AFBiH, recalling that NPA has cooperated with the Ministry of Defense of BiH since 2010 on strengthening the capacity of this battalion.
He also said that Demining Battalion of the AFBiH gathers the best deminers, expressing willingness of NPA to continue to be engaged in strengthening its capacities.
(Source: Fena/ photo bihx)
