NATO Military Committee’s visit shows continued support for Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • 14 Nov. 2017 -
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  • Last updated: 17 Nov. 2017 11:02

General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, and the Military Committee visited Bosnia and Herzegovina on 14 November 2017. The NATO delegation met with the Minister of Defence, Marina Pendeš, and the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lieutenant General Anto Jeleč.

While in Sarajevo, the NATO military representatives also attended an Explosive Ordnance Disposal static demonstration and met with military personnel based at Rajlovac Base.

After receiving an official Welcome and Honour Guard from the Ceremonial Unit, the Military Committee met with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s senior military and political leadership. During the meetings, General Pavel thanked Minister Pendeš for inviting the Military Committee to see first-hand the progress achieved by Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Chairman welcomed the continued commitment to defence and security reforms, stating: “NATO stands ready to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina with its needed reforms and remains fully committed to the stability and security of the Western Balkans”.

During presentations at the Army Hall of the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Military Committee discussed the process and status of the Membership Action Plan (MAP) and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ongoing participation in Peace Support Operations. The NATO Military Representatives also received presentations from the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina on their organization and participation in international exercises and training opportunities.

During his joint press statement with Minister Pendeš and Lieutenant General Jeleč, General Pavel highlighted Bosnia and Herzegovina’s contribution to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and stressed that “increasing your high level of interoperability with NATO brings a number of benefits for future operations and missions”.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a candidate for NATO membership. As an important regional partner, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a strong contributor to international security, making significant contributions to Euro-Atlantic security through regional cooperation and support to NATO operations.