Ružnić at Circle 99: We have an exodus of the best and most educated people from BiH, which will also become a security problem

(Patria) - Mustafa Ružnić, Prime Minister of the Una-Sana Canton (USK), at the regular session of "Circle 99" on the topic: "It is necessary to find our own answers to contemporary security challenges in and towards Bosnia and Herzegovina" spoke about the problems of the migrant crisis and the pandemic that this canton has faced in recent years.

"When we talk about security, we should start by defining what security actually is, and what the security system is. Security systems are primarily complex systems and must be effectively organized and must be unified and function perfectly hierarchically. From the definitions themselves, we already see what the problem is when it comes to Bosnia and Herzegovina," Ružnić explained.

He recalled the events of a few years ago - the pandemic and migrations. He emphasized that, since the beginning of the migrations, they had been sending out pleas and calling on state institutions to get involved in solving the problems of migration.

"Only after three years did we succeed. We did not have a migrant crisis, we had a migrant wave, we had migrations, but we had a crisis in the institutions of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina to respond to the migrant situation. What did we bring ourselves to? We became an illegal testing ground for illegal migrations towards Europe. Migrants illegally crossed the eastern border, illegally entered Bosnia and Herzegovina, illegally stayed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and illegally left BiH for the European Union. Due to dysfunctionality, we have become a testing ground for illegal migrations towards the EU. Unified and effective organization is the key to everything, and that is the problem when it comes to our country," Ružnić emphasized.

He believes that it is not the state institutions that are the problem, but individuals who abuse state institutions to weaken the state.

"When we strengthen the institutions of this country, we also strengthen our state. Individuals do this very skillfully and well, and in that way endanger the entire security system. Bosnia and Herzegovina, and especially the Una-Sana Canton, with its geostrategic position, has all the prerequisites to be a very successful and developed country with wise leadership of the state and state policy. That is the ideal of all of us, all patriots who dream of such a future for our country. Today, very serious tectonic shifts are happening in BiH when it comes to the political scene, which greatly affects the security of our country - Ružnić explained.

He pointed out that preserving security today and in the time ahead, in the era of technological progress, migrations, and humanitarian crises, is a great challenge not only for Bosnia and Herzegovina but also for countries with fewer internal problems and better-organized systems.

"Security problems in their final outcome affect life, disrupt the economic, social, and every other sphere of state security. European and world countries choose the best. When it comes to our country, we can talk about labor migration, however, today EU countries have the greatest impact on our people. Today, we are not witnessing labor migration from BiH. We are witnessing an exodus of the best generations, the most educated people that this country has. And that will affect the security system tomorrow," Ružnić said.

He believes that, on the other hand, we have attempts by powerful EU member states for Bosnia and Herzegovina to be the one that will detain illegal migrants and guard the Schengen border of the EU from mass migrations.

"Today, EU member states are trying to classify migrations in Bosnia and Herzegovina as labor migration and that such labor is needed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is another way of acting and undermining security when it comes to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our neighbors from the east and west skillfully use this complicated situation of ours, under the guise of love for certain ethnic communities in BiH, they directly interfere in our internal affairs," Ružnić added.

The president of Circle 99, Adil Kulenović, said that with the recent discussion at Circle 99 on global, regional, and local security challenges and threats, they entered the focal point of the crisis and the need for a clearer definition of Bosnia and Herzegovina's overall security position in these times.

"It is not only about the war in Ukraine, its outcome and repercussions on European and Balkan stability, nor other newly opened Middle Eastern battlefields in the shadow of Ukraine, but primarily regional dynamics and the repetition of 'bad past' outlined in the recent events in the village of Banjska in the north of Kosovo. 'Terrorists' or 'heroes', the origin of weapons, 'popular resistance to terror', focusing attention on details, are just propaganda noise and hiding the dangerous intentions of a regime and its expansionist strategies, which, despite all defeats, are not abandoned," said Kulenović.

He believes that even the upcoming visit of NATO head Jens Stoltenberg to Bosnia and Herzegovina should not be a reason to postpone the inevitable - "the necessary finding of our own answers to contemporary security challenges in and towards BiH", which is the topic of today's session.

"Timely and organized prevention of security challenges is the way to eliminate the potentially destructive power of the dangers themselves, not to contribute to their strengthening. The condition for this is state responsibility and alliance of all political actors responsible for the peace and security of the population, for the progress of the free Bosnian nation," added Kulenović.