High Representative Christian Schmidt extends his heartfelt congratulations to the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the 19th anniversary of their establishment.

The creation of the Armed Forces represented a significant step forward in moving Bosnia and Herzegovina further along the path of peace and reconciliation, making it a stable and prosperous country, well-equipped to achieve its goal of joining the Euro-Atlantic community.

“Members of the BiH Armed Forces have consistently demonstrated their professionalism and competence, both at home and abroad, in international peacekeeping operations, joint military exercises, and disaster relief efforts such as those recently undertaken in areas affected by floods and landslides. To carry out these diverse and critical duties in an intensely multi-role environment service members must be properly supported. To meet these expectations, the Armed Forces need stable and sufficient funding to ensure adequate training and equipment, enabling the men and women in uniform to serve their country with distinction. Only in this way can the Armed Forces realize their full potential and keep developing into a professional and respectable force,” said High Representative Schmidt.