Defense Minister Helez Advocates for BiH’s Immediate Conditional NATO Membership to Rutte
Zukan Helez, Photo: Gov.me
During a press conference in Sarajevo today, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Defense Minister Zukan Helez (SDP) announced that he has suggested to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that BiH should be granted conditional membership in the NATO alliance immediately.
“If it poses a challenge to regional stability, I proposed that Serbia be extended an offer for conditional NATO membership as well. I believe this approach would help secure lasting peace and stability for BiH and the wider region,” Helez told the media following a meeting with Rutte and members of the BiH Council of Ministers.
He noted that Rutte responded positively to his proposal and indicated that he would take it under advisement at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels.
Politicians from the RS are opposed to BiH’s integration into NATO, advocating instead for military neutrality.
“The NATO Secretary General’s visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina amid the current political instability sends a powerful message to all citizens and political leaders that NATO stands in support of BiH,” Helez stressed.
He reiterated that NATO is committed to upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH, ensuring that no security vacuum or threat to peace and stability arises in the country.
“Neither NATO nor the European Union (EU) should permit the outcomes secured over the past thirty years of peacekeeping efforts in BiH to be jeopardized by reckless political actions,” Helez expressed.
The office of the Chairperson of the BiH Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto (HDZ BiH), reported that today’s discussions with the NATO Secretary General included the political and security landscape both regionally and in Europe.
Krišto pointed out that there are no security threats present in BiH, and that all institutions are continuing to fulfill their duties effectively and professionally.
“In light of all challenges, the stability of BiH and its institutions is a shared interest among all political entities. Collaborative dialogue and essential decision-making by representatives of all three constituent peoples are vital for our collective interest,” the office of the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH stated.
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