Stoltenberg on BiH Armed Forces: Dodik's rhetoric is concerning, support for BiH institutions needed

(Patria) - On the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting held today and tomorrow in Riga, a Security Forum was held, addressed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

During today's session, ministers will also discuss the security situation in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Western Balkans, including rising tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, as well as developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly the separatist ambitions of Republika Srpska. This discussion was initiated by a group of countries led by the head of British diplomacy, Liz Truss.

Stoltenberg specifically addressed the announcements regarding Republika Srpska's withdrawal from the agreement on the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"NATO has been in the Balkans since the 1990s, and we have been present in BiH for a very long time. We are concerned about the tensions, and we see that NATO and the EU are working closely on these issues. Any undermining of multi-ethnic and state institutions is a cause for concern, especially regarding the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are one of the most successful multi-ethnic institutions in BiH, and NATO has contributed to that. The inflammatory rhetoric of Milorad Dodik and the authorities in Republika Srpska is concerning, and all support must be provided to the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Stoltenberg stated.