The Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Minister of Defense of BiH Zukan Helez, as part of the second day of his official visit to Romania, met today with the Minister of National Defense of Romania, Angelo Tilvar.
Helez expressed satisfaction with the realization of the meeting, which, as he said, opens the possibility and opportunity to discuss the relations between the two countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania, stressing that the political relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania are extremely good and friendly.
He thanked Romania for its previous support for the European integration of BiH and expressed the expectation of continued support, especially in the context of obtaining the status of a candidate country for membership in the EU and NATO, saying that Romania continuously makes a valuable contribution to the Althea EUFOR Mission in BiH, to our partnership with NATO and the EU which brings many advantages to BiH.
He is also extremely satisfied with the work of the Embassy of Romania in BiH and especially the excellent cooperation with the military attache of Romania in BiH, who is already the third term and doyen of the Association of all military-diplomatic representatives accredited in BiH, and expressed his wish that the delegation of the Ministry of Defense of Romania visit BiH.
The interlocutors also discussed current challenges and achievements in Bosnia and Herzegovina, war conflicts in Ukraine, the war between Israel and Hamas, the Western Balkans region and the impact of current world crises on the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In this context, the minister emphasized that in order to overcome the current situation in the world and establish long-term security and stability in BiH, “for our small country in the center of Europe, there is no better and more reasonable option than joining the Euro-Atlantic family”.
During the meeting, the ministers signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania.
“I am extremely happy that we signed this agreement today, which is a sign of our friendly relations. By signing it, BiH bilateral cooperation in the field of defense with Romania will be established and regulated. This agreement is an expression of the commitment of the two sides to develop cooperation in the field of defense through annual programs and plans that will be adopted and implemented in the coming years,” said Minister Helez.
Also, Ministers Helez and Tîlvăr met with the family of the fallen lieutenant Remus Branzan, who lost his life during the mission in the Goražde Corridor, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on September 17, 1996.
The Armed Forces of Romania then lost the first soldier in the mission after 1990. He was part of the 10th Engineering Brigade – 96th Battalion “Doctor Joseph Kruzel”, the first Romanian military contingent that participated in the international peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The memorial stone erected in honor of the Romanian hero in Goražde is a reminder that international military missions always pose a risk to life. Generations to come will bear witness to the price of establishing peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and how important it is to preserve it,” Minister Helez said, it was announced from the MoBiH.
