Bosnia’s Defence Minister Zukan Helez held a meeting with the Commander of the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, Brigadier General Matthew Valas. Helez, on Tuesday, during which he informed the General about the events that are “the result of the All-Serb Assembly and which are unnecessarily raising tensions and causing unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

Helez said he particularly noted the attempt to engage helicopters of the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Serbia in addition to the possibility of engaging Bosnia’s own resources – helicopters of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Also, Minister Helez informed General Valas about the procedures for engaging the BiH Armed Forces to help civilian structures and stressed that two helicopters of the BiH Armed Forces are on standby for firefighting in the entire territory of the country.

Minister Helez welcomed the decision of Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, not to send Serbia’s police officers to the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, which, he said, was the gesture of a responsible politician.

NATO’s General Valas, informed Minister Helez that he is closely monitoring the situation in BiH within his jurisdiction and gave full support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the end, Minister Helez thanked General Valas for the continuation of NATO's support to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the recent declaration of the summit in Washington, which contains everything that should represent NATO focus in the coming years, which refers to the continuation of democratic reform in BiH, the Ministry said.