Defence reform in Bosnia-Herzegovina on track
Defence reform, NATO's main role in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is proceeding apace, according to a joint meeting of the North Atlantic Council and the Political and Security Committee of the European Union.
The successful outcome of the 1 October 2006 elections provided an opportunity for both the Alliance and the European Union to appraise progress in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“Very successful”
“On the whole, we can say that a lot of progress has been reached in the framework of defence reform,” said NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.Defence reform in Bosnia-Herzegovina is supported by consultations and joint activities between NATO and the government. A trust fund project, designed to provide assistance to redundant military and civilian personnel, was launched in June 2006 to provide additional support to defence reform efforts.
Euro-Atlantic integration
While issues remain, most notably related to constitutional reform and police reform, all parties agreed that the elections are a positive development that will contribute to the integration of Bosnia-Herzegovina into the Euro-Atlantic community.“It is very clear that we have a common stand,” said Dr. Christian Schwarz-Schilling, European Union High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, “to see how we could make progress in Euro-Atlantic integration in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s future.”
Bosnia-Herzegovina is aspiring to join NATO’s Partnership for Peace Programme.
NATO-EU cooperation: “An example”
Mr. De Hoop Scheffer also commended cooperation between NATO and the European Union.“As far as NATO’s responsibility goes, EU-NATO cooperation on the ground is very good,” he said, “It is an example.”
NATO-led peace-keeping forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina for nearly a decade. The mission was handed over to the European Union in December 2004. Today, the Alliance maintains a headquarters in Sarajevo to assist the government in its defence reform activities, as well as for counter-terrorism, and intelligence-gathering purposes.