Germany will not block BiH and Montenegro's entry into NATO

The statement by the spokesperson for German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to the east is not a priority for Germany has caused a stir in the Western Balkans, reports the BiH news agency Patria (NAP). For example, in Montenegro, some media interpreted this as Germany's announcement that it would block the country's invitation to join the Alliance at the next summit in Wales. Merkel's spokesperson, Steffen Seibert, stated that "the Federal Government does not see the necessity for further expansion of the NATO Alliance to the east at this moment."

- This is not on our list of things that are necessary right now - Seibert said at a press conference in Berlin, reports Beta. The German government spokesperson was thus responding to a question about Berlin's stance on the further expansion of the Western military alliance, without mentioning any country individually.

However, BiH NATO expert and professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo, Sead Turčalo, told the Patria agency that this statement by the German government should not be linked to the Western Balkan countries, BiH and Montenegro, which are awaiting membership in the Alliance. Turčalo says there is no reason to believe that Germany could block the entry of BiH and Montenegro.

- This statement should be understood as a kind of relaxation of relations towards Russia, and it refers to the potential integration process of countries bordering Russia, primarily Georgia and Ukraine. Germany has previously held the position that it does not support the integration of these countries, given that NATO, as a military-political alliance, cannot admit an unstable country as a member - says Turčalo.

According to him, BiH has been given the perspective of membership, and that is not in question, nor is BiH or Montenegro, which is already expecting an invitation for membership at the summit in Wales.