Bosnia’s NATO membership would finally protect it from any territorial aspirations neighbouring countries may have, as well as from any secessionist aspirations of its own politicians, the leader of the Nasa Stranka (NS, Our Party) said on Tuesday.
Bosnia is expected to be discussed during a NATO meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday and Predrag Kojovic, the leader of the left-leaning liberal NS, expects that after the meeting, obstructions of Bosnia’s NATO membership will hardly be possible anymore.
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“I firmly believe that Bosnia’s NATO membership would finally eliminate territorial aspirations of neighbouring countries and internal secessionist politics and that it would relax our political scene and decrease nationalist populism,” Kojovic said.
The tripartite Presidency would have to accept NATO membership but its current chairman, Milorad Dodik, is expected to obstruct it.
Bosnia’s Presidency consists of three members, each representing one of the ethnic majorities living in the country – Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs.
Serbs traditionally oppose NATO membership, in line with neighbouring Serbia. They are angry over the alliance’s 1999 bombing of Belgrade during the war in Kosovo, and its wartime intervention in the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia.
Hardline Serb nationalist Dodik has been vocal regarding his opposition to Bosnia joining the pact.
“I think that it will not be possible to stop the process of Bosnia joining NATO after Wednesday,” Kojovic said.
“The guarantee of territorial integrity, stability and security which NATO membership brings with it is surely in the interest of the majority of citizens of Bosnia who do not want to be thinking about the survival of the state of Bosnia, but of its economic and political progress,” he said.
Peace and security are “invaluable” for Bosnia’s citizens, he said, adding that “only those who don’t understand this can obstruct our membership in the NATO pact.”
