The EU hopes for immediate reforms and for Bosnia to transition from the Dayton to Brussels phase as soon as possible, Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary-General for the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and Crisis Response at the European External Action Service (EEAS), said in Sarajevo on Thursday.

During a meeting with BiH Deputy Defence Minister Mijo Kresic, Charles Fries said politics must not be an obstacle to BiH's progress.

He expressed gratitude for the participation of members of the Armed Forces of BiH in the EU mission in the Central African Republic, BIH Ministry of Defence announced.

“The demining battalion of the Armed Forces of BiH will be financed through the procurement of vehicles and equipment for demining, which we will propose to the EU members,” Charles Fries emphasized.

Kresic said that 1,731 members of the BiH Armed Forces, who have been successfully providing assistance for the past 20 years, have been sent to peace support operations in crisis areas around the world.

When it comes to providing support to civilian authorities in BiH, Kresic noted the excellent response to the migrant crisis that has been active since the beginning of the year, when the BiH Armed Forces built temporary accommodation for migrants in Bihac and suppressed further escalation of this problem.

He stated that the Armed Forces made a significant contribution to the suppression of the Covid-19 pandemic, disinfecting public buildings and institutions throughout BiH and that their readiness to suppress the consequences of floods and fires was confirmed on several occasions.

Thanking for the understanding and support of all the projects, Kresic expressed his belief that the mission of the Defence Minister his Deputy is to reciprocate as much as possible by contributing to peace and security in Europe through more active cooperation and missions of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy.