Bećirović: Implementing activities for BiH's NATO membership is a legal obligation

(Patria) - Members of the BiH Presidency spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who arrived on a working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Denis Bećirović thanked NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for accepting the invitation to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2023, as well as for the sincere support for Bosnia and Herzegovina and its path towards full membership in the EU and NATO.

During the talks, Bećirović stated that there is no dilemma regarding the issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina's movement towards full NATO membership and that the Law on Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Article 84, precisely states the following:

“The Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, the Council of Ministers of BiH, the Presidency of BiH, and all defense entities, within their constitutional and legal competencies, will carry out the necessary activities for the admission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to NATO membership.”

Member of the BiH Presidency Dr. Denis Bećirović emphasized that the priorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina's foreign policy are full membership in NATO and the EU. He also said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is ready to contribute to collective security and stability in Europe and the world. He stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina's foreign policy is aimed at preserving and promoting lasting peace, security, and stable democratic and overall state development, as well as contributing to international peace and security.

Bećirović informed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the attack by the authorities of the BiH entity RS on the constitutional order of our country. He said it is important to stop the undermining of the constitutional order so that the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina can focus on EU and NATO integration.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that NATO remains a guarantor of the security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He said that NATO does not approve of rhetoric that encourages divisions and threatens the functioning of the institutions of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina's European and NATO paths are compatible, and that NATO will assist reform processes that bring Bosnia and Herzegovina closer to membership in NATO and the European Union.

Member of the BiH Presidency Denis Bećirović recalled that his first international visit was to NATO headquarters, where he spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He emphasized that this visit had symbolic and strategic significance, with the message that Bosnia and Herzegovina will surely continue and intensify its path towards full NATO membership.