The Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, today received the British Minister of Defense for the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, James Heappey, in the building of the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
In an address to the media after the meeting, Helez said that they discussed important issues when it comes to BiH and its Euro-Atlantic integration.
“The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is one of the key foreign policy factors and friends when it comes to BiH,” Helez said.
He added that he was grateful for the assistance that the United Kingdom provided to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past years.
“Thanks to their help, the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are today a respectable armed force and many units within the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are fully in compliance with the standards of the NATO alliance,” Helez said, adding that he would visit London based on the minister’s invitation.
James Heappey said that the United Kingdom is a proud and long-term partner of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He emphasized that they recognize the importance of a strong and united BiH, not only for this country, but also for the Western Balkans.
“At a time when values such as freedom, territorial integrity and sovereignty are under attack as they are in Ukraine, it is very important that the forces that believe in these values stand up and support them as strongly as possible,” Heappey said.
He added that they look forward to further cooperation, as well as the cooperation of the armed forces.
