If Russia blocks the extension of the European Union (EU) peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), alternative options are further NATO engagement and strengthening of domestic security institutions, but the option of reaching an agreement should be left open.
The EUFOR mission in BiH is renewed every year, by a decision of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. It was the same on November 3rd, 2021, when Russia also supported it, RSE writes.
What kind of mission is this?
The EUFOR Althea mission is the EU’s longest military operation, the only field mission, and the only mission with an executive mandate to use force.
Namely, the official mandate of all foreign military missions in BiH is to ensure the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war in BiH, and to “contribute to a secure environment”.
It is conducted in the field using NATO resources and capabilities, based on an agreement with NATO known as “Berlin Plus”.
What are the possible options?
According to the 2003 agreement, the EU and NATO can deploy additional troops to BiH at any time, in the short term, in the event of a threat to the country’s security.
Alija Kozljak points out that no decision of any other international organization is needed for additional engagement of NATO in BiH.
He emphasizes that, however, the option for negotiations should be left open until November, because ”Russia is aware of these alternative options that Blinken is talking about and knows that some of these alternative options are worse for Russia than the current option of engaging EUFOR.”
What is the official position of Russia?
Neither official Moscow nor Russian diplomats in BiH have explicitly spoken in recent months about whether they will oppose the extension of the EUFOR mission in BiH.
Russian Ambassador to BiH Igor Kalabuhov said in an interview with Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS), the public service of this BiH entity, on March 24th, speaking about the extension of the mandate: “It would be good for EUFOR to do its job in accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement without any political interference.”
E.Dz.
