Bosnia and Herzegovina to join Membership Action Plan pending progress in reforms
The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nikola Spiric, visited NATO Headquarters and met with Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Mr. Spiric also addressed the North Atlantic Council.
During the discussion, Allies agreed that Bosnia and Herzegovina will be granted participation in the Membership Action Plan (MAP) after essential reforms are carried out and that it is now up to Bosnia and Herzegovina to show that the necessary progress has been achieved.
NATO Allies thanked Mr. Spiric for the invitation extended to the North Atlantic Council to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina later this month and looked forward to the next meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in April, when the Membership Action Plan for the country will be discussed.
Allies agreed that the decision to be taken by NATO Foreign Ministers will be based on an overall assessment the country’s reforms. They also agreed that progress in building efficient state-level institutions will be particularly important.
“NATO decided in December at the meeting of Foreign Ministers that Bosnia and Herzegovina will join MAP once Bosnia and Herzegovina achieves necessary progress in its reforms efforts,” the Secretary General said. “It is now not a question of ‘if’ Bosnia and Herzegovina will get MAP, it is a question of when Bosnia and Herzegovina will get it. ”
Mr. Spiric was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Sven Alkalaj and Defence Minister Selmo Cikotic.