Security, resilience and international cooperation in focus at the Mostar Security Forum

The forum, organized by the Institute for Research of Hybrid Conflicts and the University of Mostar, with the support of NATO partners and international institutions, brought together domestic and international experts from the fields of security, academia, institutions, and international organizations, to strengthen dialogue and cooperation at a time of increasingly pronounced global security challenges.

Gordan Akrap, Vice-Rector of the 'Dr. Franjo Tudjman' University of Defense and Security stated that the Mostar forum is an opportunity to highlight all security challenges within the NATO alliance, with special emphasis on those affecting Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"I am extremely pleased that representatives from the NATO office in Sarajevo will participate in the conference, as they have recognized that this truly is a solution and that there is a way, through constructive cooperation and communication, to achieve all the prerequisites that can and should lead Bosnia and Herzegovina toward Euro-Atlantic integration," said Akrap.

According to him, those who believe that NATO has no future are mistaken.

NATO Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Vladimir Vucinic emphasized that conferences such as this are the best way to discuss all of today’s security challenges.

"The Western Balkans are of strategic importance to NATO because the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans is also important for the security of Europe. We are therefore committed to strengthening the capacities and resilience of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and today we will also discuss how we can help through practical cooperation, as well as through the DCB capacity-building package in the field of defense and security," said Vucinic.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia Davor Bozinovic expressed satisfaction that the Mostar Security Forum is gaining importance, noting that the very fact the event is sponsored by NATO speaks to the high priorities this part of Europe holds.

"Croatia is a strong advocate of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European and North Atlantic path. We believe this is best for all citizens, all three constituent peoples, and the state itself, and that is then also good for Croatia, because today we are all exposed to these kinds of threats. Without cooperation in this area, it is difficult to ensure progress for our citizens and this part of the European continent," he said.