Bosnia's Presidency member Denis Becirovic met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, stressing during the talks that NATO and the state institutions must be ready to protect Bosnia and Herzegovina. He told the NATO official that the leadership of the Bosnian Serb-majority Republika Srpska entity is taking "dangerous steps" that threaten the peace, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the statement issued by Becirovic's office. Pročitaj više

He also said that the leadership of the Republic of Serbia is “aggressively interfering in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as other countries in the region, with the aim of reactivating the Greater Serbia project”. He said that this is confirmed by the Declaration of the so-called All-Serb Assembly, adopted in Belgrade last year, “which aims to destroy the internationally recognized state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and annex the entity to Serbia,” said Becirovic's office.

Becirovic stressed that he supports NATO's proactive engagement, including deterrence measures, with the aim of preventing any disruption of peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He thanked Rutte for his continued assistance and support to Bosnia and Herzegovina and its path towards full NATO membership. He stressed his commitment to continuing reforms with the aim of Bosnia and Herzegovina's full NATO membership, which is one of the strategic foreign policy priorities of the country, determined by the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the statement.

In the context of the accession of new members to NATO, Rutte stressed the importance of intensifying the cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and said that he would continue to provide full support to the country on its Euro-Atlantic path. He also expressed NATO's unquestionable support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The importance of countering regional challenges and threats, especially the negative and destabilizing influence of the Russian Federation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, which undermines efforts towards Euro-Atlantic integration, was also among the topics the two officials discussed. It was emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina must remain firmly on the European and Euro-Atlantic path.