A ceremony marking the completion of works and the handover of the renovated building of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina was held today at the Butila barracks in Sarajevo. The reconstruction was financed by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The event was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as representatives of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bosnia and Herzegovina, NATO Headquarters Sarajevo and EUFOR.
Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez stated that the project involved the reconstruction of the main logistics base, with an investment worth around 480,000 euros, funded by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
“Today we are opening the renovated main logistics base, and the donor for the construction was the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. The investment is worth around 480,000 euros. Since I have been in this position over the past three years, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has invested about 25 million euros, which has placed it in first place when it comes to infrastructure investments. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany helps our servicemen and women to have better accommodation, improved working conditions and more efficient infrastructure. Today’s event is an example of such joint cooperation and partnership between the Ministry of Defense and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany,” Helez said.
He added that new investments are planned in the coming period.
“We also have a program for next year, investments are continuing, and I hope that we will maintain successful cooperation. During this or next week, we will present to the public the completion of the first phase of works on the House of Armed Forces, which will be one of the most beautiful parts of our city,” Helez stated.
The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alfred Grannas, emphasized that this project is part of Germany’s broader support to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“This is only one of 54 projects through which the Federal Republic of Germany supports the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our focus, as seen in this example, is to improve the working conditions and accommodation of members of the Armed Forces. Good working conditions for soldiers are the basis of their readiness, engagement and professional performance. If these conditions are met, other segments of the system’s functioning will also improve,” Grannas said.
He stressed that the projects are the result of coordinated and partnership-based cooperation.
“We focused on fundamental aspects to ensure better working and living conditions for soldiers of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Everything we do is implemented in close cooperation with the Minister of Defense and the leadership of the Armed Forces, and I would like to thank them for that. All activities are also coordinated with NATO’s efforts in the modernization process of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Ambassador Grannas concluded.
