NATO HQ Commander Valas on Kupres: Operational-Technical Analysis of Prospective Military Locations

(Patria) - Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo Matthew Valas visited today a preparatory workshop on Kupres, held from 28 to 31 July.

The aim of the visit is to develop a methodology and concept document on the operational-technical analysis of prospective locations used by the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The workshop was attended by Brigadier General Dr. Jasmin Čajić, Brigadier General Radovan Jović, Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo Matthew Valas, Assistant Minister of Defence for Policy and Plans Dženan Redžo, the UK Military Representative to BiH - Colonel Edward Taylor, representatives of international organisations, and members of the Ministry of Defence and the AF BiH.

Brigadier Arnad Kukuljac read a letter from the Minister of Defence of BiH Zukan Helez and conveyed his greetings and welcome to all present, emphasising the importance of this activity for the further development and enhancement of the defence capabilities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Minister Helez expressed confidence that the workshop participants will successfully meet the task and objectives, and that the result of joint work will be a quality document representing an important step towards a permanent resolution of the status and manner of use of prospective military locations.

"I thank the embassies of the United States of America and the United Kingdom in Bosnia and Herzegovina for their continuous support to the development of the Armed Forces of BiH.

I express special gratitude to NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, which from the very beginning has provided strong support in the process of resolving the issue of prospective and non-prospective military property, which is of exceptional importance for the Ministry of Defence and the AF BiH.

With sincere gratitude, I hope for the continuation of successful cooperation in the future," Minister Helez stated.



After that, General Matthew Valas addressed those present.

- It is an honour to open this preparatory workshop dedicated to developing the methodology and concept document on the operational-technical analysis of prospective locations of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This is a key step towards establishing a structured, unified, and criteria-based approach to assessing military locations defined as "prospective" in our current defence planning framework.

The goal is to create a common understanding and a practical set of tools that will enable you, that is us, to assess each location based on clearly defined operational, technical, and infrastructural criteria.

These criteria should reflect both current military needs and future development potential, aligned with NATO standards, security norms, logistical functionality, and sustainability.

One of the key parts of this process is the rationalisation of existing infrastructure. We are fully aware that your current infrastructure is extensive, diverse, and in many cases inherited under different circumstances.

Rationalisation does not mean simply reducing - it means making thoughtful, strategic decisions about which locations are key, which can be consolidated, and which may be candidates for repurposing or disposal - Valas emphasised.

The aim of this workshop was to define elements for developing the methodology and concept document on the operational-technical analysis of prospective locations used by the Armed Forces of BiH.

Through the analysis of the property-legal status of these locations, the goal is to identify key challenges and propose concrete measures for their resolution, in line with the real needs of the AF BiH.