Bećirović with McLaughlin on Strengthening BiH's Energy Security and Countering Hybrid Threats and Cyber Attacks

(Patria) - Chairman of the BiH Presidency Denis Bećirović met in Washington with the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe and Russia at the US National Security Council, Charles McLaughlin.

Bećirović thanked the US for its continuous and overall support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in its reform efforts on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration. He emphasized that these two countries have built strong and friendly ties, and that the strategic commitment is to further strengthen overall bilateral cooperation.

He stressed that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the citizens of the US, share a commitment to the values of a multi-ethnic society, common life, mutual respect, and tolerance.

A special focus of the conversation was on strengthening the energy security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a key segment of overall national and regional stability.

Bećirović highlighted the importance of implementing the South Gas Interconnection project, which would enable the diversification of natural gas supply, reduce dependence on a single source, and strengthen the country's energy resilience.

He also pointed out that this project is of strategic importance not only for Bosnia and Herzegovina but also for the wider region of Southeast Europe, and that he expects continued strong support from the US for its implementation.

In the context of security, Bećirović warned of intensified hybrid activities aimed at weakening Bosnia and Herzegovina's Euro-Atlantic perspective and destabilizing the country and the region.

He particularly pointed to the actions of proxies, as well as political and media structures that spread disinformation and propaganda. In this regard, he emphasized the need to improve cooperation with relevant US institutions to more effectively counter hybrid threats and cyber attacks.

Bećirović also warned of the very dangerous and destructive lobbying by officials of the BiH entity of Republika Srpska, which is directly aimed at breaking the Dayton Peace Agreement and undermining the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He further emphasized the importance of accelerating the process of Bosnia and Herzegovina's integration into NATO, stressing that NATO membership represents a key guarantee of the country's long-term security, stability, and territorial integrity.

He called for strengthening cooperation with NATO by implementing reforms, modernizing the defense sector, and fulfilling undertaken obligations.

Finally, Bećirović underlined that the protection of critical infrastructure, further diversification of energy sources, strengthening institutional resilience, and a decisive fight against malign influences and the spread of disinformation, with close cooperation with international partners, are of key importance.