The Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg is on an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and after meeting with members of the BiH Presidency he praised the progress of our country in the process of joining this military organization, but also stressed that a lot more needs to be done.
“I want to thank BiH for participating in missions in Afghanistan, and your contribution in the fight against terrorism as global threat. We appreciate you donated ammunition to Iraq and contributed to the fight against ISIS,” Stoltenberg said at the beginning of his address.
However, what local officials are most interested in is the position of NATO in the progress of our country when it comes to membership in the organization.
“BiH is a candidate for membership in NATO and you have the necessary tools that can allow you to progress. NATO is ready to activate the MAP, but only when military assets are registered with the reforms in the security sector,” said Stoltenberg.
He said that the document “Defense Review” is a step forward.
“I welcome the progress and strong commitment and I urge you to do even more. Through NATO BiH will be even closer to the EU. We want to help BiH implement the Defense Review, but I stress that we support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH,” said Stoltenberg.
He also mentioned the security situation in the Balkans, saying that NATO does not want any escalation of the conflict in the Balkans.
He said that NATO saw a report about the impact of Russia in the Balkans, and especially the impact of Russia on Montenegro before the elections. He says NATO monitors and works with partners to strengthen their intelligence capabilities, the same way with Montenegro.
Stoltenberg said that the best way to avoid external influences is strong institutions that can withstand the influence and continue the democratic processes.
