Rutte to FPN students: NATO is not here to focus on Dodik and RS, but to help you keep this country safe

(Patria) - NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is visiting BiH today. After meeting with members of the BiH Presidency and the BiH Council of Ministers, he addressed students of the Faculty of Political Sciences (FPN) at the University of Sarajevo.

In his address, he stated that the Dayton Peace Agreement "may not be perfect, but it is still the cornerstone of peace in BiH, it must be respected by all sides, and we will not allow the hard-won peace to be jeopardized".

Rutte reminded that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

He emphasized that EUFOR and the Althea Mission, within the "Berlin Plus" arrangement, are present at every step in BiH together with NATO.

"We are working with you to build better defense and modernize the Armed Forces of BiH," said the NATO chief.

He pointed out that security creates conditions for the economy and prosperity of all citizens, adding that NATO supports BiH's reform efforts and that these efforts can help the country on its path to the European Union.

Unfortunately, Rutte added, we have seen a rise in dangerous rhetoric and political conflicts - "statements alluding to the end of Bosnia and Herzegovina are truly worrying".

"Threats of secession and inflammatory actions erode the security of this country, they are very dangerous and carry risks of jeopardizing your progress and taking you back to a past full of divisions," Rutte stated.

He told political leaders to leave that behind, to show leadership and courage to move forward together for the benefit of all.

Rutte reiterated that NATO is firmly committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH.

iframe width="821" height="469" class="remirror-iframe remirror-iframe-custom" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JifEGpUwDM0?si=aDJLU70CWKGptFq8" data-embed-type="custom" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0">

"We will not allow the hard-won peace to be jeopardized," Rutte said in his address to the FPN students, adding that he is sending the same message to BiH's neighbors, noting that he is traveling to Pristina tomorrow.

He said he had the opportunity to speak with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, and added that Serbia is a long-term partner of NATO and an important country for regional stability.

"A stable Western Balkans region is important to all of us. You only need to look at your neighbors in Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia to see the benefits that Euro-Atlantic integration can bring," Rutte said.

Emphasizing that he is aware that there are different views in Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding the country's membership in NATO, he stated that it is nevertheless a sovereign decision of this country.

In the meantime, he added, NATO will continue to build strong cooperation in terms of security and defense and support BiH's path to reforms and reconciliation.

Students were interested in NATO's response to the moves made by the president of RS, Milorad Dodik, and Rutte said that NATO will not allow a security vacuum to occur in BiH.

"This is a sovereign country, it is up to BiH's leadership to resolve this. That is my message. You have three major groups represented in the BiH Presidency. You need to start commenting on the leadership of things.

My country would never have existed if people had not sat down together and tried to build bridges. Accept reality.

You have a court ruling, you have a High Representative, institutions, EUFOR with NATO support, your politicians could spend a little more on the Armed Forces, at least more than Luxembourg.

NATO is not here to focus on Dodik and RS, it is here to help you keep this country safe, a new security vacuum is not acceptable," Rutte concluded.