Armored military vehicles, as well as a large number of soldiers, arrive in Bosnia and Herzegovina every day. Statements by certain politicians that it is NATO forces that are in Bosnia and Herzegovina for preventive action due to fear of new conflicts in this area caused fear among citizens. There is no place for fear and panic, because it is a preparation for a military exercise in which Bosnia and Herzegovina participates, which is part of the cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO. NATO welcomed the temporary deployment of “strategic reserve forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in support of Operation Althea, led by the European Union. It is about 250 soldiers who will be in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a month.
NATO is sending a battalion of reserve forces to BiH, wrote Denis Zvizdić, deputy chairman of the House of Representatives of the PS BiH. Zvizdić further wrote that it is a long-awaited and strategically extremely important decision to extinguish secessionist and irredentist ideas and preserve peace and stability. Let’s recall that earlier, Zvizdić called on NATO to send its forces to Brčko.
DENIS ZVIZDIĆ, deputy chairman of the House of Representatives of the PSBiH
Therefore, this was a preventive move, so that problems do not arise, preventive action should be taken. A limited contingent of NATO forces in Brčko District, as possible under the Statute of Brčko District, strengthens EUFOR’s presence on the ground to deter those who actually want to preserve their personal power and wealth by provoking conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
However, EUFOR confirmed that they are coming to BiH, but as part of an exercise they are holding with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Members of the Strategic Reserve Forces (SRF) of EUFOR are already in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and now their equipment has also arrived. They will soon carry out patrols throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and train with EUFOR forces in the field and elements of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The BiH Minister of Defense, Zukan Helez, confirmed that it was an exercise.
ZUKAN HELEZ, Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina
This is under the command of the European Forces, of course the NATO commander and the NATO commander in Brussels. So there is no purely NATO unit in BiH, nor does Brčko have a location for us to place it there. It is also known how many EUFOR forces remain in BiH.
ALEKSANDAR GOGANOVIĆ, Deputy Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina
They will stay here only during the period during the planned exercise, which was recently announced at the Conference by Minister Helez and EUFOR Commander General Sticz. I personally think that certain politicians should stop constantly commenting on the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and thus raising tensions.
There is no room for panic, clarifications are also coming from members of the BiH Presidency.
DENIS BEĆIROVIĆ, Chairman of the BiH Presidency
NATO also has a mandate under the Dayton Peace Agreement to react whenever peace and stability and the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina are threatened. Therefore, I would recommend those who in any way question the future of independent and sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina not to play with fire.
ŽELJKO KOMŠIĆ, member of the BiH Presidency
To tell you the truth, in the event of any kind of crowd, I wouldn’t really trust those forces so much. It is the same as trusting UNPROFOR in 1992 and even in 1995.
Military analyst Dean Džebić explains what and how much the difference is between EUFOR and NATO forces currently in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He reminds that since 2002, the Berlin Plus program was established between the EU and NATO.
DEAN DŽEBIĆ, military analyst
It is very important to demarcate, therefore, EUFOR reserve forces are coming to BiH. However, when we say NATO forces between EUFOR and NATO there is a so-called The Berlin Plus Agreement and that Agreement enable the countries that compose it, which are the bearers of the Altea Mission, i.e. EUFOR’s mission in BiH, to call on reserve forces, i.e. NATO forces, if necessary, for events on the ground and for the planning of some activities, because large number of EU member states are members of NATO.
In this regard, citizens have no reason for any kind of concern, given that at the end of last year, EUFOR announced a major exercise. It is the largest exercise in terms of logistical requirements, so armored vehicles, military logistics vehicles, and supply vehicles arrive in Bosnia and Herzegovina every day, and part of the equipment also arrives by air. With this exercise, France returns to Bosnia and Herzegovina and somehow confirms its role and importance in the Western Balkans, BHRT writes.
