Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sifet Podžić, together with his deputies Mirko Okolić and Mijo Krešić, spoke today in Sarajevo with the newly appointed operations commander of the European Union Forces (EUFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, French Colonel-General Hubert Cottereau, who at the same time also holds the post of Deputy Chief of Staff of NATO’s Supreme Allied Command Europe (SHAPE).
In the conversation, which was also attended by the commander of EUFOR in BiH, Austrian Major General Anton Wessely, the interlocutors emphasized the excellent cooperation of EUFOR with the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of BiH, as well as the desire to continue this cooperation in the future.
Minister Podžić informed General Cottereau about the political circumstances in which the MoD and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina operate, especially emphasizing that political blockades of state institutions within the country have a negative impact on the insufficient military budget, as well as the continued participation of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in peacekeeping missions abroad.
The interlocutors agreed that the continuation of the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina would be the best solution for the peace and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina. General Cottereau expressed his readiness that, during his term of office, EUFOR will engage with even greater capacities in cooperation activities with the state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, announced the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
