5 Apr 2005

High Representative for Bosnia briefs NATO Council News 04/04/2005 - NATO Visit to NATO of Lord Ashdown, High Representative and EU Special Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Links SFOR website The international community’s High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lord Paddy Ashdown briefed the North Atlantic Council on developments in the country on 5 April. Lord Ashdown, who is also the EU’s Special Representative for Bosnia, outlined the current situation in the country and its prospects for integration with European and Euro-Atlantic structures. He described in particular the current reform of the police forces and updated NATO Ambassadors on the country’s cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The Ambassadors exchanged with Lord Ashdown views on how NATO could further support the country’s reform process. The successful termination of NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Bosnia at the end of 2004 did not spell the end of NATO’s engagement in the country. A moderately-sized Headquarters led by a Senior Military Representative was established on 2 December, to provide advice on defence reform and assistance to the Bosnian authorities in reforming the armed forces and eventually moving towards a single military force. The Headquarters also undertakes certain operational tasks, including counter-terrorism and support regarding the detention of persons indicted for war crimes and intelligence sharing with the EU peacekeeping mission in the country.