Thewesternbalkans
The Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, requested the establishment of a NATO base in Bosnia and Herzegovina during a meeting with NATO officials in Brussels. He also stated that Russia must not be allowed to penetrate the heart of Europe through the Western Balkans.
Helez claims that the creation of a NATO base in Bosnia and Herzegovina “will stop the spread of destructive influences and provide additional guarantees for the stability, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country”.
The Minister of Defense announced that it is necessary to improve cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO. This would include, among other things, the strengthening of the defense system of the country and the equipping of its Armed Forces with short- and medium-range anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems. That is why the existence of a NATO base in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a realistic option, according to Helez.
“It is very possible, very realistic and it depends on the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina as to how it will unfold. I cannot talk about the details, but we specified and agreed in detail everything that NATO needs to do for Bosnia and Herzegovina, they have procedures, it has EUFOR, it has NATO and it has the bilateral support of the most powerful NATO member countries,” Helez stated.
Comment: Тhe growing tension in the Balkans, mainly between Serbia and Kosovo in connection with PACE’s recommendation for Kosovo’s membership, the imposition of the euro as the main currency in the country, as well as the closing of some of the branches of Serbian banks in northern Kosovo, but also between Serbia and Montenegro and the Republika Srpska and the others of Bosnia’s entities, concerning the adoption of UN Resolution on Srebrenica genocide, give cause for real concern to the authorities in Sarajevo.
If security in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not at the highest level and there is a threat to NATO members, it is possible the establishment of NATO base in the country. There are already bases in Albania, a US base in Kosovo, and the establishment of one in Montenegro is also planned.
Therefore, before joining NATO, it is possible to increase the military presence of NATO forces as a response to possible threats, although Althea is still there, with Russia’s announcement that it will withhold support for the extension of this mission in the fall.
