Reception held at the Armed Forces of BiH House on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of NATO and the 20th anniversary of BiH's partnership with NATO

(Patria) - Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez and Deputy Ministers Slaven Galić and Aleksandar Goganović attended on 2 April 2024 a reception at the Armed Forces of BiH House on the occasion of marking the 75th anniversary of the NATO alliance, also the 20th anniversary of Bosnia and Herzegovina's partnership with NATO.

The ceremony, hosted by the Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo Brigadier General Pamela McGaha, was attended, among others, by the Chief of the Joint Staff Major General Gojko Knežević with his deputies Brigadier General Tomo Kolenda and Brigadier General Mirsad Ahmić, EUFOR Commander Major General László Sticz, ambassadors of NATO countries, and military-diplomatic representatives in BiH.

Addressing those present, Minister Helez stated that over the past 74 years NATO has developed into the strongest military-political alliance and that Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of protecting peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity, aspires to membership in the NATO alliance.

Marking 20 years of cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the NATO alliance, Minister Helez emphasised that “the Armed Forces of BiH have made a great step forward in professional development and capacity building, thanks to the education, training and exercise programmes offered to us by NATO.”

Furthermore, Minister Helez thanked the NATO alliance for providing support in strengthening the defence and security system of BiH, and stated that the entire support of NATO towards Bosnia and Herzegovina clearly proves that it is part of the NATO family.

“Currently, our country is in the Membership Action Plan, which is the last step before an invitation to full membership,” said Helez, expressing the hope that “Bosnia and Herzegovina, following Sweden's accession to the NATO alliance, will be the next full member,” concluded Minister Helez.

Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo Brigadier General Pamela McGaha stated that NATO is still guided by the ideals of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. “We continue to share the fundamental belief that together we are stronger, safer and more prosperous, whether as allies or as partners. For us here in BiH, this partnership continues to deepen,” said McGaha. Finally, she thanked all those who over the past 20 years have contributed to making Bosnia and Herzegovina a place for a better and safer life for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.