The German government has decided to continue participating in the Eufor Althea mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and to extend the engagement for one year until the end of June 2025, and the decision is now awaiting the approval of the Bundestag.
“The federal government thereby emphasizes its constant commitment to security and stability in the Western Balkans. It will also continue to support the reforms of BiH necessary for the European Union (EU) membership”, according to the website of the German government.
It is emphasized that since 2023 progress has been made in BiHtowards the desired accession to the EU, and therefore the European Council decided on March 21st, 2024 to open accession negotiations with BiH.
“There are still important reforms that need to be implemented by all actors in BiH. This includes equal treatment of all citizens and changes to the electoral law”, it is stated.
In the announcement, it is emphasized that in BiH “political institutions are weakened by the secessionist policy and rhetoric” of the President of BiH entity of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik.
“The country is still at risk of internal conflicts. However, the conditions also make the country vulnerable to the influence of foreign powers. With the presence of EUFOR ALTHEA, the EU intends to strengthen democracy and the rule of law, as well as state institutions together with the international community,” it said.
“Due to this situation, it is necessary for the Federal Government to extend the deployment of the armed forces of Germany to EUFOR ALTHEA. The government has now taken an appropriate decision on this. The deployment will be extended until the end of June 2025. Up to 50 soldiers should still be deployed,” it was added.
It is explained that creating and maintaining a secure environment remains the task of the Bundeswehr.
It is said that German soldiers also support the training of the Armed Forces of BiH and perform advisory and observation tasks, N1 writes.
