UN Security Council unanimously extends EUFOR Althea mission mandate in BiH

The decision was made at the regular semiannual meeting of the UN Security Council dedicated to the situation in BiH.

The meeting is being held a day after the tragic helicopter crash near Brčko, in which four Italian nationals serving as part of the mission lost their lives.

Operation EUFOR Althea was launched in December 2004, when the European Union took over responsibility for the military mission to maintain a safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina from NATO's SFOR mission.

The mission operates under a UN Security Council mandate, and its main tasks include supporting the maintenance of a safe and secure environment, deterring potential threats to stability, and supporting BiH institutions in capacity-building and training the Armed Forces of BiH.

The operation was established after NATO ended its SFOR mission, with EUFOR Althea assuming responsibility for continuing the international military presence in BiH. Through Resolution 1575 of November 22, 2004, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of EUFOR as the legal successor to SFOR, while the operation officially began on December 2 of the same year.

EUFOR Althea operates under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which allows for the necessary measures to be taken to maintain and restore peace and security.