NATO has set the path, now it is up to BiH to speed up the process

Authors: British Ambassador to BiH Edward Ferguson, US Ambassador to BiH Maureen Cormack and Brigadier General Giselle M. Wilz, Commander of the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo

Political leaders in BiH must seriously discuss BiH's path to the NATO alliance. We know what our thoughts are and what most citizens tell us they want: BiH must take the next steps towards the NATO alliance. Some of you may be wondering why NATO membership should be important to you, and we know there are also those who believe that BiH's membership in the NATO alliance is not right. The final membership of a country in the NATO alliance is an important decision that only you and no one else can make. Let us explain what the NATO alliance means for citizens. Simply put, the NATO alliance is important not only as a guarantee of peace and stability that implies the obligation of allies to defend each other, this alliance is also important because it offers a clear path for security and rule of law reforms that will help improve the lives of ordinary citizens. If you want positive changes in BiH, the path to the NATO alliance is an excellent way to achieve them.

Although the doors of the NATO alliance are open, the path to membership is difficult, and rightly so: the idea of collective defense that is the core of the NATO alliance implies that each member must not only be ready, but also capable of helping other members. Speeches, declarations, and statements are not enough: actions, activities, hard work, and making difficult decisions are what is needed for BiH to become a member country from a country aspiring to NATO membership. What is missing is this second part – actions, activities, hard work, and making difficult decisions.

In 2010, the NATO alliance received a formal request from the BiH Presidency and invited Bosnia and Herzegovina to activate the Membership Action Plan, i.e., MAP. The only condition was that BiH first register property necessary for defense purposes as state property. This was an intentionally low bar that BiH officials actually offered to the NATO alliance as something they could achieve quickly. The 2005 Defense Law mandates that authorities “carry out activities necessary for BiH's membership in the NATO alliance”. However, six years later, progress towards fulfilling the so-called “Tallinn Condition” has stalled: only 21 out of 63 locations have been fully registered. Four locations are in court proceedings, including Han Pijesak, whose ownership is currently under appeal before the Court of BiH.

Four other locations are partially registered, while in the case of the remaining 34 locations, little progress has been made – and not a single location in Republika Srpska has been registered yet. Citizens of BiH have lost six precious years of potential progress, and that is a shame.

But there is hope: the United States, the United Kingdom, our partners, and NATO – all want to see progress here. The Tallinn condition has not been met, but that does not mean that progress cannot be made in another area. Now is a particularly good time to show achievements, as NATO will have its biennial summit in Warsaw on July 8 and 9. The key question is this: How can Bosnia and Herzegovina show significant progress in just a few weeks? We think the answer to this question is: Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to focus on the Defense Review.

The Defense Review is a technical document that defines the strategic environment, threats, challenges, risks, and capabilities that a country needs to fulfill its obligations to its citizens. It will define the force structure (size and capabilities), modernization plans, and resources needed by the BiH Armed Forces to successfully carry out all missions within that strategy. In short, the Defense Review will ensure that BiH has appropriately sized armed forces that are progressing, with a fiscally sustainable defense and security sector.

To be clear, the Defense Review is not a substitute for the Tallinn Condition and will not activate MAP (which is only one step on the path to NATO membership, not just membership). But it is still important; every country does something similar for its armed forces: the US has a Quadrennial Defense Review, and the UK has a Strategic Defense and Security Review. The BiH Ministry of Defense has been working on your Defense Review since 2009. Five of the eight chapters of the Review have been completed, but the sixth chapter, the chapter on the size of the Armed Forces and their structure, is the most difficult to complete. Reasonable people can disagree, and that happens constantly on key issues such as the size and structure of the armed forces, but in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this debate has been ongoing since 2009. That is too long a period, so we appeal to complete the Defense Review as soon as possible. What is most important are not the numbers – but a clear vision and framework for the Armed Forces.

It is impossible to overstate: the door to NATO remains open – wide open. The United States, the United Kingdom, our partners, and NATO – we all want progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In recent years, NATO has recognized the expertise you have gained through hard work in the areas of demining and unit protection. We deeply appreciate the contribution of your forces in Afghanistan. But political leaders in BiH must do their part and must seize this opportunity. Again, Bosnia and Herzegovina has an opportunity to advance its interests, and the only obstacle is political decision-making in the country. As we saw in the response to the 2014 floods, your Armed Forces have developed into a reliable institution capable of responding when needed and working for the benefit of all BiH citizens. As an institution, you should be proud of what the Armed Forces have achieved in such a short time. And more importantly, they are ready to take the next step. We appeal to you to help the Armed Forces – and BiH – take that step.