The United States will provide 23 million US dollars for the development of helicopter capacities of Bosnia’s Armed Forces, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian affairs, Laura Cooper, said on Wednesday.

Cooper confirmed this to journalists after her meeting with Bosnia’s Defence Minister, Sifet Podzic. The two discussed the security situation in BiH.
Cooper welcomed the recent adoption of the 2022 budget in BiH, arguing that “one of the challenges to developing the capabilities needed in the Armed Forces has been a lack of a budget.”

Zamjenica pomoćnika ministra odbrane SAD za Rusiju, Ukrajinu i Euroaziju Lauru Cooper

" Razgovarali smo o dodatnoj pomoći SAD-a od 23 miliona dolara za razvoj helikopterskih kapaciteta OS BiH "https://t.co/L7AUgRKFYV pic.twitter.com/lJBVDLN7gn

— TV N1 Sarajevo (@N1infoSA) July 13, 2022

“The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina must have sufficient resources to modernize, train and maintain its forces and to take care of its people,” she stressed.

“I also had the opportunity today to discuss an additional 23 million dollars in US assistance funding we will use to continue support to BiH for its rotary wing or helicopter capability. We look forward to continuing cooperation on this and so many other areas of cooperation, from building the light infantry battalion group to cybersecurity,” Cooper added.

Podzic said the US has again shown that it is committed to BiH’s integrity and strengthening the country’s Armed Forces.

“We had the opportunity to discuss what we have done so far and what we can improve, especially in light of the security threats after Russia's aggression against Ukraine,” he said.