Minister Helez met with EU parliamentarians: We are seeking an increase in EUFOR forces

(Patria) - Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Minister of Defense Zukan Helez, with
Deputy Minister of Defense of BiH for Policy and Plans Slaven Galić, received a delegation of the European Parliament's Committee on Defense and Security today and requested an increase in EUFOR forces in BiH.

„EUFOR plays a very important role in BiH, articulated in Annexes 1A and 2 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, and remains a reliable guarantor of security in this area. Given the sensitivity of the geopolitical situation in the world, as well as in our region, we believe it would be good to strengthen EUFOR forces, especially in the important area of Brčko District,“ Minister Helez emphasized in talks with members of the European Parliament's Committee on Defense and Security (SEDE).

EU parliamentarians are on a multi-day visit to key institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The delegation of the SEDE Committee is led by Niclas Herbst from Germany, and includes Helder Sousa Silva from Portugal, Marjan Šarec from Slovenia, and Martinš Stakis from Latvia, with associates.

Minister Helez and Deputy Minister Galić presented them with the key activities and priorities of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of BiH, and Helez also spoke about BiH's efforts to meet the conditions for starting negotiations for membership in the European Union. He pointed out that an agreement has been signed with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), and the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorist Activities, the Law on Border Control, and the Law on Personal Data Protection have been adopted. However, due to obstructions in the institutions, more has not been adopted so far.

„We do not have a consensus on abolishing the entity veto on decisions regarding the allocation of aid from state funds and the appointment of new judges to the Constitutional Court of BiH. The fact that the entity of Republika Srpska is seeking to introduce ethnic voting in the Constitutional Court, which is unacceptable to us, speaks volumes about the nature of these obstructions,“ said Helez.

Both Helez and Galić expressed gratitude for the financial support from the European Peace Facility (EPF), through which the demining capacities of the BiH Armed Forces were strengthened with specialized vehicles and metal detectors in two tranches totaling $20 million. The need for further modernization of the BiH Armed Forces in terms of combat assets, especially regarding anti-aircraft and anti-tank capabilities, was also emphasized.

„With their capabilities and experience, the BiH Armed Forces can offer their capacities to others, especially regarding participation in peacekeeping missions. We believe that we could contribute well to EU forces in peacekeeping missions wherever needed in the future,“ emphasized Deputy Minister Galić.

Speaking on behalf of the SEDE Committee delegation, MEP Niclas Herbst pointed out that it is a pure coincidence that this visit is taking place at a politically very sensitive moment for BiH. He emphasized that they see BiH as a full member of the EU in the future and encouraged any steps in that direction.

„We are in a geopolitically very interesting time. EU member states will have to allocate much more for
their defense than we have allocated so far. We support Ukraine, but we will strive not to lose focus on BiH and the region,“ said Herbst.

The SEDE Committee delegation is expected to visit the Tactical Support Brigade of the BiH Armed Forces in Rajlovac tomorrow and witness a demonstration of the capabilities of the demining capacities, strengthened by a recent donation from the EPF framework.