Raffi Gregorian visited the BiH Ministry of Defence: Terrorist threat in BiH minimal

(Patria) - Deputy Minister of Defence of BiH for Policy and Plans Slaven Galić, along with Deputy Minister of Defence of BiH for Resource Management Aleksandar Goganović, received in an official visit the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and UN Director for Counter-Terrorism Raffi Gregorian.

This American diplomat is known to the domestic public as one of the co-chairs of the BiH Defence Reform Commission, based on which the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of BiH were formed in 2005. Gregorian also served as the Principal Deputy High Representative of the International Community in BiH, and was also the Supervisor for Brčko. This week he is visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina in his capacity as head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, which was established six years ago.

The meeting with the Deputy Ministers of Defence of BiH was also attended by the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of BiH Muhamed Smajić, Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Defence of BiH Brigadier General Mirsad Ahmić, and Political Advisor in the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator Irina Liczek.

Various aspects of the fight against terrorism worldwide were discussed, as well as the broader participation of the BiH Armed Forces in international peacekeeping operations, UN missions in Congo and Mali, where the BiH Armed Forces have military observers or staff officers. Also discussed were the possibilities of cooperation with the Peace Support Operations Training Centre (SOOPM/PSOTC) of the BiH Armed Forces, as well as the BiH Armed Forces Centre for Demining and Destruction of Unexploded Ordnance.

Speaking about the situation in the world and the region, Gregorian stated that the terrorist threat in BiH is minimal and that BiH security institutions are keeping the situation well under control. He noted, however, that one should always be vigilant and cautious.

Deputy Ministers Galić and Goganović stated that the security situation in BiH is stable, which was also confirmed by EUFOR, and both emphasized the importance of further extending the mandate of EUFOR in BiH. Galić expressed his conviction that BiH institutions would more easily combat terrorist threats if BiH were a full member of the EU and NATO. Goganović emphasized that the whole world should unite in the fight against terrorism while respecting international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law, but in which he sees the UN as the umbrella institution. He strongly condemned the recent terrorist attacks on Israel.

"Peace, stability, and security of BiH are imperative, with respect for the Dayton Agreement, which stipulates that all decisions are made by agreement of the three peoples and two entities, and officials of Republika Srpska are oriented towards cooperation with NATO in accordance with the Reform Program, adopted by the BiH Presidency in 2019," Goganović emphasized.

During the meeting, the interlocutors also recalled the time of the defence reform negotiations, which all agreed was one of the most successful in BiH. As a token of gratitude for his work in the BiH Defence Reform Commission, Deputy Minister Galić presented Gregorian with the Golden Plaque of the BiH Ministry of Defence.

"By agreeing on a consensus for a new defence system in BiH, we achieved that no one got everything they asked for, but everyone got what they needed. We created common Armed Forces of BiH for the future, as armed forces for new generations," Gregorian concluded.