VIDEO Ahić: BiH will surely join NATO, and we will gain security and foreign investment

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Time is running out, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is in a political-economic rift that does not allow society to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century. On the one hand, we will witness a transition from the Dayton to the Brussels phase of social development, and on the other hand, we will face geopolitical risks in a time of global upheavals.

The world within and around us has become a chaotic place threatened by populism, institutional destabilization, climate change, migration, corruption, disinformation, and threats of war. Therefore, in the project

"Time is Up" or "Vrijeme ističe" in the genre of video and online talk shows, we present the state of society in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the perception of Euro-Atlantic integration through a broad perspective. Regardless of when the European Union will grant Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status and how quickly we are moving towards NATO membership, it is evident that our society needs future projections and structural reforms for a functional and stable state, security, and a better quality of life for citizens.

Regional and global challenges are significant, and "Time is running out"... Hosts Zvonko Komšić (journalist), Vildana Selimbegović (Editor-in-Chief of Oslobođenje), and Aida Jokanović (journalist) talk with people who think and act and contribute to understanding the state of Bosnian-Herzegovinian society today. The project editor is Suada Kapić.

In each episode, three hosts talk with three guests. Hosts Zvonko Komšić (journalist), Vildana Selimbegović (Editor-in-Chief of Oslobođenje), and Aida Jokanović (journalist) talk with people who think and act and contribute to understanding the state of Bosnian-Herzegovinian society today.
Among others, the guest of the first episode was Prof. Jasmin Ahić (Faculty of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Security Studies, UNSA), who spoke with Zvonko Komšić about the role of NATO and the importance of BiH joining NATO.
 
"NATO is present and active in part in BiH, but we, as the state of BiH, are unfortunately not active in NATO. By joining NATO, we would first gain security, regardless of our region and what has happened in the last 30 years. Second, the economy and the rule of law that follow on this Euro-Atlantic path. Third, stability, which is urgently needed for both BiH and the region," said Ahić.
The professor explained that the NATO alliance is absolutely not the same as when it was founded.

"It was created as a military alliance, and later it took on the characteristics of a political-economic alliance. Today, it is primarily a flexible framework in which the military part occupies more space in the civilian part of the rule of law, relations between member states, and relations with other players, primarily Russia and China," said Ahić.

Speaking about the three advantages of joining NATO, Ahić said they are stabilization, then easier procedures in the defense industry, and from an economic perspective, foreign investments would be absolutely higher quality and safer, which is very important besides security.
The professor also spoke about returnees from foreign battlefields and how BiH has done everything it could, even changing the Criminal Code related to going to foreign battlefields. Commenting on BiH's slow path towards NATO, Ahić says it is also part of geopolitical relations.

"Local politicians will always be asked by global actors. Our politicians, in attempts to maintain power at certain moments, want to exploit inflammatory topics," said Ahić, adding that BiH politicians are pawns in geopolitical relations.

The NATO issue is resolved by laws.

"We cannot decide ad hoc that we have changed our stance. It is not permissible in this way, and we do not represent a credible partner," added Ahić.

He added that he believes the NATO alliance will never collapse, so the story that NATO will collapse before we join it is not valid.

"This NATO alliance may change its purpose or goals, but it will not collapse, and we, as the state of BiH, will surely join that alliance. When is the question, but from our side, we must meet the minimum conditions required of us," added Ahić.