US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke before the Senate foreign relations committee on Tuesday, commenting on the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and potential blockade of mandate of the peacekeeping mission in the country at the UN Security Council this November.

The discussion was initiated by Senator Jeanne Shaheen who visited Bosnia and Herzegovina last week within her Western Balkans tour. Upon her return to the United States, the senator expressed her concern over the political and security situation in the whole region, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

She said that she and the senators who accompanied her in the visit spoke to the representatives of NATO mission in Bosnia and EUFOR (EU military deployment) who indicated a growing concern about a possibility of Russia blocking the extension of EUFOR mandate at the UN Security Council this year.

She asked the Secretary of State if there was a plan to maintain the peacekeeping mission if that happens.

Blinken shared the concerns with Senator Shaheen.

“First, I very much agree with you that some kind of international force with an adequate mandate is essential in trying to maintain safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What I can tell you about where we are… It is a work in progress,” he said without revealing the details of the steps taken in this regard.

“Because of the concerns that you raised about the mandate and whether it would be blocked and not continued, we are engaged with variety of stakeholders in this, on contingency planning. In the event the Security Council is not in a place where it renews the mandate which expires I think in November. So we are trying to make sure to have something to back this up if that happens,” he added.