NATO Headquarters Commander James Fowler visits Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, welcomed by Helez, Galić and Goganović

(Patria) - Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez, with his deputies Slaven Galić and Aleksandar Goganović, on Monday, 1 June 2026, in Sarajevo, received in an introductory visit the newly appointed Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo (NHQSa), U.S. Brigadier General James Fowler.

At the meeting, which was also attended by the head of the NHQSa military-political team Christian Haupt, Minister Helez welcomed General Fowler and highlighted the key role of NATO for peace and stability in the region.

“Cooperation with NATO Headquarters Sarajevo is extremely important for us, because it helps us achieve NATO standards and interoperability of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina with allies, on our path to full membership in the NATO alliance. To you, as the new Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, our doors are always open for any form of cooperation. At the head of NHQSa there is always an American general, and the USA is our largest bilateral partner. That fact provides confidence that this duty will be a pleasure for you.”

Minister Zukan Helez mentioned some of the most significant cooperation programs with NATO. He noted that BiH is the only country that is officially in the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) and that the Council of Ministers of BiH adopted the Reform Program for 2025 at the beginning of the year. Through the NATO Defence Capacity Building Initiative (DCBI), an investment of around 35 million euros is planned over a period of five years to strengthen BiH's defence, through nine bilateral projects. The Individual Tailored Partnership Program (ITTP) for BiH for the period from 2025 to 2028 was also adopted, and the list of cooperation activities with NATO contains around 180 events per year. Helez emphasized that political efforts are being made to raise the military budget of BiH to two percent of gross domestic product, which until recently was the NATO standard, which has now raised that targeted percentage to four percent.

“In my career, I have also held a command position in a command responsible for the standardization and modernization of the U.S. Army. I know how challenging it is to balance military needs and allocated funds. I believe that this experience of mine will help us in our joint work with the Armed Forces of BiH,” emphasized General Fowler. He also proposed that meetings at the highest level of NHQSa and the MoD of BiH be more frequent than they have been so far.

Deputy Minister of Defence of BiH for Policy and Plans Slaven Galić emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina, through its Law on Defence, expressed its aspiration for full membership in NATO. In this regard, Galić stressed, BiH also looks at what it can offer to NATO itself and reminded of the declared unit of the AF BiH that received high marks and is ready to participate in NATO-led peace operations.

Deputy Minister of Defence of BiH for Resource Management Aleksandar Goganović confirmed that cooperation with NATO is productive and going well, and that it is important for peace and stability in the entire region. In this regard, he emphasized the importance of mutual cooperation in the Balkan region, because a stable Balkans implies a stable Europe.