After more than 30 years, NATO remains committed to the territorial integrity, sovereignty and constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina and will not allow any security vacuum to arise. We call on all parties to be constructive, to respect the rule of law, as well as the verdict against former Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, and also to support the country’s reform path, said NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska.
In an interview with BHRT, she emphasized that during all the meetings she had in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she felt a clear consensus that cooperation with NATO is important and that this is the path the country should follow.
“We call on all parties to be constructive, to respect the rule of law and the verdict against former Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, and to support the country’s reform path,” she emphasized.
She added that NATO, in cooperation with the European Union, strongly supports the EUFOR Althea mission through the Berlin Plus arrangement, which, she said, is the best guarantee that the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be destabilized.
Speaking about the experience of North Macedonia, she recalled that as Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, she was part of the process in which North Macedonia became a member of NATO and a candidate for membership in the European Union.
“All of these processes were difficult, challenging, and often unfair. But what worked in our case was a very clear sense of unity around these issues. We had many other issues on which we disagreed, but membership in the European Union and membership in NATO, which usually comes a little earlier, were truly a unifying factor in our political landscape, and that helped,” she said.
According to her, reform processes require time, but also political leadership.
”It is not just a list of laws that need to be adopted. That is actually the easy part. They require that we, national leaders and institutions, take responsibility in difficult times, to make sometimes difficult decisions, but also to make all these sacrifices for the sake of a better future for the country,” she emphasized.
She emphasized that decisions on NATO and EU membership are sovereign decisions of states, and not something made by the Alliance or Brussels.
“Once we make that sovereign decision, it is important to maintain momentum,” she added, emphasizing that at this moment all efforts are focused on strengthening cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
She reminded that this year, positive signals have also been recorded in BiH through reform programs.
“Two programs from previous years, which were not adopted, have finally been approved. We called on all our colleagues, all interlocutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to adopt the 2025 reform program as soon as possible. We emphasized that it is important for this process to be inclusive, transparent and without unnecessary delays. This is the only way our cooperation can progress, but also the way in which the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina can receive more NATO support in areas that are very important – crisis management, air evacuation, cyber defense, scientific and innovative models in crisis management,” she said.
Shekerinska also addressed the allegations of some politicians from BiH that Russia could veto the extension of the mandate of the EUFOR Althea mission. According to her, NATO is committed to ensuring the continuity of this mission and works side by side with the EU.
“We recently had a very good meeting in Brussels between the North Atlantic Council and the PSC of the European Union, where we saw a very clear consensus and alignment between the positions of NATO and the EU. We are truly together in this and we fully support this mission through the Berlin Plus arrangement. It is essential for us, a priority, to renew this mandate. But we have emphasized to all our interlocutors, all colleagues in Bosnia and Herzegovina and citizens that we will not allow a security vacuum, neither now nor in the future,” she explained.
Speaking about the process of European integration in the region, Shekerinska emphasized that NATO remains focused on security, stability, defense and deterrence, but that the security dimension of EU enlargement cannot be ignored.
“We have always said, both at EU and NATO meetings, that EU enlargement has a security element and that the enlargement of the European Union is a formula for enhancing security and stability in the region. We are counting on all countries in the region to seize this opportunity and we are counting on this process to truly bring more chances for prosperity, growth and stability,” she said.
Recalling her recent visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina, she stressed that there is a whole list of issues in the Western Balkans that countries have to face, but that the focus must be on key issues, and security is one of them.
“That is why we continue to repeat the messages about the need for commitment to reforms, implementation of reforms and a greater sense of unity in that implementation. And I believe that the most important message we have heard is that, regardless of differences, all our interlocutors, all representatives, said that they greatly value the cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO. And I think that is an excellent investment and an excellent starting point, but we need to do more and provide concrete evidence for that from both sides,” she said.
She added that NATO’s Defence Construction Package (DCB) is a clear demonstration of commitment, and that members like Slovenia have already come forward with significant assistance.
“We are focusing on areas that matter to people on a daily basis. These are issues that save lives in times of need and in times of crisis, air evacuation, crisis management, supporting institutions with command and practically more sophisticated, innovative systems for dealing with crises. This is what matters to people. And I think it is very important that Bosnia and Herzegovina seizes the opportunity for this cooperation,” concluded Radmila Shekerinska.
