Members of Joint Committee for Defense and Security of BiH talked with the Team for Strategic Review of the mandate of "Althea" Mission in BiH

Chair of the Joint Committee for Defense and Security Sifet Podžić and members of the Committee Bariša Čolak, Dušanka Majkić and Hanka Vajzović talked today in Sarajevo with the Team strategic review of the mandate of “EU Althea" mission, led by the Head of the Europe Department at the Directorate of Crisis Management and planning of the EU Foreign Service Ramon Mestres Brugada.

Opinions on the mandate of the EU Althea Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina were exchanged during the meeting. It has been noted that in the past period, the cooperation of the members of the Joint Committee with the EUFOR Command in BiH was exceptionally good and that opinions and views on a number of important issues for improvements in the sector of defense and security in our country were exchanged.

The Review Team was interested to hear the views of the members of Joint Committee on how to conduct review of “Althea“ Mission, how to continue with the activities that will ensure a stable security environment and how to help BiH institutions to continue to train and equip themselves in order to help population in case of natural disasters and crisis situations. 

They discussed the further strengthening of the Armed Forces of BiH, police agencies and other structures of defense and security, and warned that the resources and equipment of these structures need to be renewed. They also discussed budgetary spending in the sector of defense and security, as well as the future of the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its adaptation to the current situation and challenges.

In addition to Mr. Brugada, the meeting was attended by the commander of a staff group in the Operational Headquarters of the Mission "Althea" Colonel Zbigniew Kmicinski, commander of a staff group in the Operational Headquarters of the Mission "Althea" Janos Kenedrnay, Head of the military personnel of the EU in charge of the mission "Althea" Kyriakos Tzivris, and strategic planner for the "Althea" Mission and the political adviser to NATO Deputy Commander for the Althea Mission Vesna Marinkovic. (End)