The Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez, together with Deputy Minister Aleksandar Goganović, on Monday, received the Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of the Netherlands H.E. Kajsa Ollongren.
The meeting discussed the possibilities of strengthening bilateral cooperation between BiH and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and exchanged views on the political and security situation in Europe and the world, as well as the impact of the current situation on the region of the Western Balkans.
Minister Helez thanked for the various support projects that the Dutch government provided to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past, such as the “Perspektiva” care program for discharged members of the BiH Armed Forces, as well as support for the Training Center for Peace Support Operations (SOOPM/PSOTC) in Butmir. He expressed the expectation that the military cooperation between the two countries will become more intense, both through NATO’s support package for the development of the capacities of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and on a bilateral basis. He emphasized the importance of the recent arrival of the Dutch contingent that strengthened EUFOR in BiH, and all the interlocutors welcomed the fact that last week the UN Security Council extended the mandate of EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina for one year.
Helez particularly emphasized the importance of the fact that Minister Ollongren visited Potočari last year and expressed her respect for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica, as well as regretting that the Dutch soldiers could not have done more to protect the population there.
Minister Ollongren announced her readiness for further development of bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Bosnia and Herzegovina and pointed out that efforts are being made to re-establish the duty of the Dutch military envoy at the resident base in Sarajevo as soon as possible. She emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina will always have support from the Netherlands on the way to membership in the European Union. She was particularly interested in how the security situation in the world and the region could affect the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina itself.
Minister Zukan Helez reminded that one of the main missions of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the protection of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that there are currently no concrete threats to the state borders in this regard. He expressed his concern about the great endangerment of civilians in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and pointed out that the fight against terrorism and the right to defense do not include the right to terrorize the civilian Palestinian population. He warned that the expansion of that conflict could lead to a new wave of refugees, which would also be felt in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Helez emphasized that the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as a member of NATO and the European Union, is of great importance for BiH’s path towards Euro-Atlantic integration. He noted that the current ruling structure is committed to fulfilling 14 priorities for BiH’s application for full EU membership and announced further progress on the adoption of key laws.
Deputy Minister Goganović pointed out that there is no better path for BiH than membership in the European Union and stressed the need for constant dialogue in BiH and the region, in order to further develop mutual understanding and cooperation, in favor of the peace and stability of the whole of Europe. Regarding the armed conflict in Ukraine, Goganović stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina knows the hardships of war and that Bosnia and Herzegovina will always opt for peace first. Regarding the conflict in Israel, he noted that the terrorist attack by Hamas on the civilian population of Israel is absolutely reprehensible, but that international humanitarian law must be respected and civilians must be protected on both sides and sit down at the negotiating table.
