NATO strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a stable and secure Bosnia and Herzegovina, heads of state and government participating in the NATO summit in Vilnius said in a communiqué on Tuesday.

“We encourage domestic reconciliation, and urge political leaders to refrain from divisive and secessionist rhetoric and actions. We remain committed to the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” NATO leaders said in a joint statement.

They pledged to continue to support reform efforts, including through the newly agreed Defence Capacity Building package, NATO HQ Sarajevo, and wide-ranging cooperative security and partnership tools, and through the country’s Reform Programme with NATO.

“We encourage Bosnia and Herzegovina to take advantage of NATO’s support and intensify efforts to make progress on reforms in key areas, including the much-needed political, electoral, rule of law, economic, and defence reforms, without prejudice to a final decision on NATO membership,” the leaders said.

Speaking about the region as a whole, they emphasised the straetegic importance of the Western Balkans and NATO's committment to its stability.

“We remain strongly committed to the security and stability of the Western Balkans by supporting reforms that advance the respective NATO and EU aspirations of the countries in the region. We will continue to enhance our political dialogue and practical cooperation in order to support reforms, regional peace and security, and counter malign influence, including disinformation, hybrid, and cyber threats, posed by both state and non-state actors”, said the joint statement.

The leaders stressed that the region requires continued attention and commitment from the Alliance and the international community to counter these challenges.

“Democratic values, the rule of law, domestic reforms, and good neighbourly relations are vital for regional cooperation and Euro-Atlantic integration, and we look to continued progress in this regard,” they added.