Geoana: It Is up to Bosnia to Decide on Its Future and NATO Membership

NATO, KFOR Kosovo (BETAPHOTO/ARMENIJA ZAJMI BESEVIC/EV)

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana said during a Feb. 2 visit to Sarajevo that it was up to Bosnia and Herzegovina to decide whether to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

"It is up to you to decide on your future, and NATO will always be a friend to help you achieve your Euro-Atlantic goals," Geoana said during a visit to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina's barracks in Rajlovac, near Sarajevo. The NATO official underlined that the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina was important for the Western Balkans, and for all of Europe, adding that the NATO delegation's visit to Sarajevo was "very important for both political dialogue and practical cooperation."

"We have been given an opportunity here to meet members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have served with us in very challenging places, such as Iraq and Afghanistan," Geoana added. He mentioned that the Bosnian military was one of the most important multi-ethnic institutions, and that it had undergone an exceptional transformation since its establishment, emphasizing that NATO would always be a friend to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Republika Srpska’s political representatives oppose Bosnia’s full membership in NATO, arguing that the country should maintain its military neutrality.