AFBiH has 3,000 tons of ammunition and explosive ordnance ready for destruction

(Patria) - Under the chairmanship of the Deputy Minister of Defense of BiH Slaven Galić, with the presence of the Chief of the Joint Staff of the AFBiH, Lieutenant General Gojko Knežević, and his deputies Major General Mirsad Ahmić and Toma Kolenda, as well as the Head of the OSCE Mission in BiH Rick Holtzapple and partner organizations, the 26th session of the Strategic Board for Armament, Ammunition, and Explosive Ordnance (AAEO) was held today at the AFBiH Home.

The session discussed the implementation of activities for resolving surplus AAEO, the progress of UNDP projects in BiH and the OSCE Mission in BiH, EUFOR support, infrastructure projects aimed at improving security, as well as challenges and upcoming activities.

In his introductory address, Galić expressed satisfaction with the projects completed so far in reducing these surpluses and improving security in warehouses. He specifically thanked the OSCE Mission in BiH, as well as other international partners.



- Thanks to the efforts of institutions such as the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of BiH, with the support of the OSCE Mission, UNDP, EUFOR, and numerous donor countries such as Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA, and the EU, significant projects have been realized, resulting in the modernization of armament and ammunition warehouses, improved physical security of facilities, and a significant reduction in unstable surplus ammunition and explosive ordnance - stated Galić.

The Head of the OSCE Mission in BiH, Rick Holtzapple, emphasized in his address that the OSCE will continue to support the efforts of the MoD and AFBiH in the process of resolving surplus AAEO.

He stated that in the coming period, all actors in this process should remain committed to reducing the quantity of surplus AAEO through destruction and sale, and to work on improving security at storage locations, enhancing infrastructure, training military personnel, and the overall sustainability of resolving this issue.

The Chief of the Joint Staff of the AFBiH, General Knežević, praised the activities of all actors in resolving AAEO surpluses. He pointed out that the AFBiH, considering the seriousness of the process itself, has never had unplanned explosions or injuries to military personnel involved in these tasks.

Knežević emphasized that when planning infrastructure projects, priority should be given to prospective military locations, i.e., strategic warehouses.



The Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of the AFBiH for Resources, General Ahmić, presented the activities on reducing the quantity of AAEO. He said that in 2006, the AFBiH inherited about 38,000 tons, and that to date, in the entire process using all methods, approximately 28,411 tons of defective and unstable ammunition, mines, and explosive ordnance have been resolved.

Currently, the AFBiH has about 3,000 tons of unstable ammunition and explosive ordnance ready for resolution. As for armaments, 62,245 pieces have been destroyed so far, and about 39,333 pieces remain for further resolution.

EUFOR's Special Advisor for Ammunition and Armaments, Brigadier Martin Trachsler, spoke about the implementation of the Master Plan and the implementation of international organization projects in BiH. He highlighted the importance of extending the UNDP EXPLODE+ project into 2026 and emphasized the significance of implementing infrastructure projects at storage locations to increase security, not only for AFBiH members but also for the wider community.



The attendees agreed that in the coming period, the process of resolving AAEO surpluses will be intensified using all prescribed methods, activities on securing warehouses will continue, as well as training of personnel working on these tasks, all with the aim of preserving a safe environment throughout the territory of BiH.

On the sidelines of the AAEO Strategic Board session, Deputy Minister of Defense Galić and Head of the OSCE Mission Holtzapple held a separate meeting where they discussed various aspects of cooperation between the MoD of BiH and the OSCE Mission in BiH.