Helez: We Are Trying to Extend the Mandate of the Commander from Austria and Prevent the Arrival of a Hungarian

(Patria) - Minister of Defence of BiH Zukan Helez confirmed that he is lobbying to increase the number of EUFOR members in BiH.

"Find me a politician who can speak with three defence ministers in three days. The Minister of Norway, Croatia, and tomorrow (today, ed.) with the Minister of Defence of Austria. I will also have meetings with the ministers of Germany and Turkey. And these countries are not chosen by chance. Norway is the contact embassy with NATO, and the Secretary General is also from that country. I am going to Austria because of the extension of the Althea mandate; the issue is who will be the commander. We are trying to extend the mandate of the current commander, who is Austrian, because a commander from Hungary is coming. We have nothing against Hungary, but given Orban's views and his stance on BiH, we must react and try to prevent this. Orban's regime is similar to that of Dodik and Putin," Helez stated on the Dnevnik D program of Federal Television.

At the beginning of November, the UN Security Council will convene to decide on the extension of the EUFOR Althea mission.

Ahead of this session, the President of SNSD and RS Milorad Dodik will visit Russia, where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. One of the topics will be support for the continuation of the EUFOR mission. Dodik has repeatedly said that he has no issue with EUFOR but sees no need to increase the number of soldiers.