Sifet Podzic, the Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) reacted yesterday to the claims of the President of the Social Democratic Party of BiH, Nermin Niksic, regarding the military exercise at Manjaca, organized by the Armed Forces (AF) of BiH and Serbia.
“Mr. Niksic expects us to deny incorrect allegations about holding an exercise between a BiH entity and Serbia. Of course, this is not only an exercise organized by the RS entity and Serbia. Niksic probably knows that there are only the AF of BiH, ” stated Podzic.
He reiterated that this is an exercise planned within the regional cooperation envisaged by the United States (US)-Adriatic Charter (Initiative A5).
“This Charter represents a strategic partnership of member states with the aim of integration into European political, economic, security, and defense institutions. The US-Adriatic Charter was established in 2003 by Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, and the US in order to help aspiring countries join NATO, ” Podzic clarified.
He specified that BiH and Montenegro officially joined the Charter in 2008, while Serbia received observer status.
“It is regular cooperation within the operational capabilities program required of us by NATO, and verification of operational capabilities and the concept that NATO requires of us through regional cooperation, and not something that is not done according to the activities in the Euro-Atlantic integration process,” Podzic concluded.
E.Dz.
