NATO Awaits BiH Reform Programme for 2021

(Patria) - Representatives of the Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Headquarters in Brussels, led by BiH Ambassador to NATO Mitar Kujundžić, are intensively holding meetings with relevant NATO representatives regarding the BiH Reform Programme and the Planning and Review Process (PARP). At a recent meeting in Brussels, attended by NATO HQ representatives including Assistant Secretary General for Operations John Manza, Director for Defence Institutions and Capacity Building Marc Di Paolo, and BiH Desk Officer at NATO Rohan Maxwell, the BiH Mission was informed that a fund to combat the COVID-19 pandemic for BiH, amounting to 500,000 euros, has been established within NATO.

The operationalization of these funds for BiH is expected soon. Furthermore, representatives of the BiH Mission to NATO were informed that the modalities for a trust fund that NATO is establishing for issues related to small arms and light weapons (SALW) are in the final stages of definition.

The Assistant Secretary General of NATO expressed interest in the achievements in BiH's defence reform and the modernization plans of the Armed Forces of BiH. Manza specifically praised the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of BiH for the successful integrity-building process within the armed forces, as well as the participation of the BiH Armed Forces in the "Resolute Support" peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.

Regarding the new "one partner-one plan" approach, Manza emphasized that there will be no changes for BiH in this regard. As before, relations between BiH and NATO will be based on the BiH Reform Programme, as the overarching strategic and political document, which will be directly linked to PARP and the programmes directly stemming from it. Representatives of the BiH Mission to NATO also held discussions with Assistant Secretary General Bettina Cadenbach. She showed particular interest in the formation of the Commission for the NATO Integration Process of BiH. She highlighted the importance of submitting information on the level of implementation of the BiH Reform Programme for 2020 as soon as possible.

In this context, Cadenbach was particularly interested in when Bosnia and Herzegovina could submit the next such programme for 2021.