BiH Defence Minister Zukan Helez (SDP BiH) on Monday expressed the expectation that Croatia would continue to strongly support Bosnia and Herzegovina's Euro-Atlantic path, which Croatian Ambassador Ivan Sabolic said was unquestionable.

According to a press release from the state ministry, Minister Helez thanked for the support Croatia was giving to Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to full membership of the European Union and NATO, especially with regard to Bosnia and Herzegovina being granted EU candidate status.

He especially thanked the authorities in Zagreb for the possibility of training the personnel of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina at Croatian military academies. The BiH minister of defence underscored the importance open neighbourly cooperation has for the stability of the entire region.

The Croatian ambassador pointed out that Croatia's support for BiH's full membership of the European Union and NATO was unquestionable, adding that Croatia was offering expert assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina based on its experience in that process.

Ambassador Sabolic underscored the support for NATO's initiative to strengthen the defence and security capacities of BiH. Integration with the European Union is supported by all major political parties in BiH, while membership in NATO is opposed by the leading Serb parties.

The interlocutors praised the quick establishment of the BiH Council of Ministers and welcomed the announced first joint session with the Croatian government after 2017 as an opportunity to further resolve any outstanding issues and develop close relations. Earlier, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic had announced that the joint session of the two governments should be held in June.