SECURITY CRISIS DISAPPEARS Soreca spoke with Helez and Goganović: 'The current crisis should remain solely in the political sphere'

(Patria) - The Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, and Deputy Minister Aleksandar Goganović, met today at the BiH Ministry of Defence headquarters with Luigi Soreca, Head of the Delegation of the European Union and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As announced by the BiH Ministry of Defence, the interlocutors exchanged views on the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and expressed their full commitment to ensuring that "the current crisis remains solely in the political sphere."

Patria requested clarification from the BiH Ministry of Defence regarding this statement, specifically whether all interlocutors expressed such a stance, given that Minister Helez had previously spoken about a security crisis in BiH following attacks on the constitutional order by the leadership of Republika Srpska. The Ministry clarified that the interlocutors stated that it is a political crisis.

Zukan Helez's Facebook post on May 6th, when he spoke with the head of NATO in BiH, reveals that they also touched upon the security situation. However, such a turn could only be understood if Helez received a signal from EUFOR and NATO that they would not interfere in the current crisis, and that BiH institutions should find a solution and ensure the rule of law. And precisely such a signal was received from EUFOR on May 12th when he requested assistance from EUFOR forces when Milorad Dodik, Radovan Višković, and Nenad Stevandić, as persons with an internal warrant, entered the Kozara barracks, and they had orders not to interfere.

As further stated in the announcement, Minister Helez emphasized the need for Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen its defense capabilities, which is also a trend among EU countries. In this regard, possibilities were considered for BiH, as a country aspiring to EU membership, to be included in the EU Defence White Paper and the current ReArm Europe initiative, which provide favorable loans for the modernization of EU member states' armed forces by 2030.

"In a situation where EU member states are increasing military spending, even up to five percent of Gross Domestic Product, and when we allocate only 0.9 percent of GDP, any further assistance in this direction is more than welcome, especially since we have not yet adopted the budget for this year," Helez emphasized.

He specifically thanked Ambassador Soreca for the financial support of the European Peace Facility (EPF), through which two tranches of 10 million euros each have been donated so far to strengthen BiH's defense capabilities.

He stressed that the priority for Bosnia and Herzegovina now is the procurement of two primary navigation radars, which would raise standards in controlling BiH's airspace, as well as further equipping the Light Infantry Battalion Battle Group of the BiH Armed Forces.

During the talks, Deputy Minister Goganović emphasized that the citizens of BiH particularly appreciate the role of EUFOR in preserving the country's stability and stated that the security situation is not threatened. He particularly emphasized the firm commitment to full membership in the EU and that this path has no alternative.

Soreca noted that strengthening the armed forces of EU countries has proven necessary after the war in Ukraine and expressed support for the idea of continuing to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in this direction.

He emphasized that this could open a new chapter of cooperation between BiH and the EU and that maintaining the cohesion of the BiH Armed Forces is particularly important. He expressed hope that the laws that are a prerequisite for BiH to accelerate its path to full EU membership will be adopted as soon as possible.