BiH Deputy Foreign Minister Josip Brkic met with the Chairman of the OSCE and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Zbigniew Rau Wednesday and discussed the importance of continuing multilateral cooperation in view of the security challenges in Europe.

“BiH contributes and highlights the importance of OSCE’s field missions. Over the years, the OSCE has helped and continues to help BiH,” Brkic said.

Rau added that he is glad that Bosnia is committed to Euro-Atlantic integration and that he will also talk with members of the collegium of both houses of the state parliament, as well as the civil sector.

“We must prevent current divisions in the public discourse in BiH. Let's see how to improve the functionality of the state of BiH. It is in our interest to avoid escalations and for your country to remain a safe country in the future,” Rau noted.

The interlocutors added that the international community believes that Bosnia has no alternative and that it is important to move on to the necessary reforms and ignore divisions. Rau said that Poland also supports BiH through its military mission, but he did not reveal whether it will send an additional number of soldiers to the BiH EUFOR mission as Germany did.

There is no consensus within BiH on the country’s membership in NATO, but there is a consensus on cooperation, Brkic said.

“We are integrating our system within NATO, through trade and the rule of law. Our cooperation was rated as high. When everyone in Bih is ready to discuss the accession to this alliance, we will do so. We don't need to consider it at this moment, but it is certain that the security space was violated after Russia's aggression against Ukraine,” said Brkic.