Bećirović: Strengthening Serbia's army is another argument to speed up BiH's integration into NATO

SARAJEVO, (Patria) – Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announces that Serbia will have the strongest army in the region as early as next year. Member of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović believes that this news is a serious warning for all countries in the region, including Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Instead of Vučić and his associates focusing on building lasting peace, economic development, building schools, hospitals, kindergartens..., they are dreaming of large armies again. An arms race is not the path to a safer future for the region. On the contrary, it is a recidivism of dangerous hegemonic policies from the 90s of the last century,” said Bećirović, who is a candidate for the BiH Presidency in the October elections.

Bećirović recalls the Agreement on Sub-regional Arms Control signed in Florence in 1996, which stems from Annex 1-B of the Dayton Peace Agreement. The aim of adopting the agreement is, he said, among other things, to achieve a balanced and stable level of armed forces of the signatories and military balance. He emphasized that respecting this agreement, both in letter and spirit, must be a priority for all signatory states.

“Vučić's statements are an alarm for us to ask ourselves how strong and equipped the Armed Forces of BiH are. The budget allocated to our army is insufficient, we have problems with personnel, outdated equipment, corruption... Can Bosnia and Herzegovina afford to have such ill-equipped Armed Forces? Isn't it humiliating that members of the Armed Forces of BiH do not have collective insurance? Increasing the budget, new equipment, and modernization of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina should be our priority, because economic development and attracting investors can only be achieved in a stable and secure country. How can we convince investors that their investments are safe here if we do not have an army that can guarantee peace and security?” said Bećirović.

“Such announcements from Serbia are a serious warning to the competent institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina to question the strength and readiness of the BiH army. In this regard, I would invoke the saying: Let's work as if we will live for 100 years, let's prepare as if war will break out tomorrow. Will we strengthen the Armed Forces or will we rely on 'God willing' there will be no war?” he added.

Bećirović believes that the announcements by neighboring countries showing off their muscles and trying to secure the role of a “regional policeman” who should dictate relations in the Balkans are another argument to strongly accelerate the integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into NATO.

“Only then will we be completely safe and protected from possible new aggression. Accession to the NATO alliance, which represents a combination of military and economic power of North American and European partners, also entails certain obligations for our country. This primarily refers to strengthening democratic society, respecting the principles of international law, fulfilling obligations from the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and refraining from threats and the use of force.”

He recalled that the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the “Defense Review” and the “Development and Modernization Plan of the Armed Forces of BiH 2017-2027” in 2016, based on which the BiH Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of BiH were supposed to increase efficiency and modernize. He adds that the current state of the Armed Forces of BiH is nowhere near satisfactory. BiH has mostly outdated military equipment, material-technical resources and infrastructure, as well as non-standardized personnel training systems.

“In order for Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen its Armed Forces, it is primarily necessary to increase the budget, which is insufficient for development projects and modernization of the AF BiH. The recovery and development process of the AF BiH will certainly take a long time and will require patience and commitment from all actors who aim for a secure and stable Bosnia and Herzegovina. The goal should be to make the Armed Forces a respectable army that meets NATO standards,” concluded Bećirović.