Germany’s Defence Minister, Christine Lambrecht, said after meeting with her Bosnian counterpart, Sifet Podzic, that European values must be defended everywhere, even in the Western Balkans, and that Bosnia and Herzegovina can count on Germany's support.

Lambrecht said her country wants a stable Western Balkans and therefore wants to see the region on the path towards the EU and NATO.

She added that a lot of progress has been achieved on regional stability in the past decades and that these achievements must not be lost.

Lambrecht stressed that it was important to extend the mandate of the EUFOR mission in Bosnia.

“We must not allow the destabilization of BiH,” she said, underlining Germany's readiness to support the training of personnel of the Armed Forces of BiH.

The two ministers also discussed the issue of Ukraine, Podzic said.

“Regardless of all the economic consequences that will be felt by all the citizens of Europe, we agreed that we must condemn the barbarism we are witnessing towards the citizens of Ukraine,” he said.

Podzic added that the countries of the region, including BiH, are not fully integrated into the EU and NATO and that this can be a sensitive issue due to Russia's aggressive behaviour.

He noted that members of the Armed Forces of BiH participated in numerous peace support missions but he expressed hope that there would be no need to participate in the defence of Europe.

“But if necessary, we are here,” Podzic added.