Extension of Military Service in AFBiH before House of Peoples Delegates

(Patria) - The House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina should today, in the continuation of an earlier interrupted emergency session, consider the Proposal for a Law on Amendments to the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of BiH, proposed by delegate Džemal Smajić.

In the explanation of the proposed solution, Smajić stated that, bearing in mind the fact that the Armed Forces of BiH lack a significant number of soldiers, he justifiably believes that it is more than necessary to increase the age limit for the duration of professional military service for soldiers in the Armed Forces of BiH as soon as possible, and proposes that this be up to the age of 45.

He notes that the law prescribes that the maximum length of service for soldiers is up to the age of 40, according to the needs of the service and meeting standards based on psychophysical ability.

Smajić points out that in the countries of the region, the limit for performing professional military service is significantly higher, so in the Republic of Slovenia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, professional soldiers can serve until the age of 45, while in the Republic of Croatia, soldiers and sailors can be in professional service even up to the age of 50.

In addition to the aforementioned legislative proposal, the agenda also includes giving consent for the ratification of several international agreements, contracts and memoranda.

As a reminder, the House of Peoples began this emergency session on November 20, when, under an urgent procedure, the Law on the Budget of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Obligations of BiH for 2025 was adopted.

The session was then interrupted due to a lack of a quorum, before considering the agenda item related to the Proposal for a Law on Amendments to the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of BiH.