Bosnia and Herzegovina is not yet in NATO, but NATO is in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The announcement of the arrival of the head of NATO Jens Stoltenberg in Sarajevo is viewed with a dose of optimism in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to analysts, this could calm passions and speed up the Atlantic process.
In its expansion to the East, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) left "gaps" in its background that can be problematic in the context of geopolitical turmoil, i.e. "Russian influence". DW wrote about this back in 2014 in the article " The Ukrainian scenario in the Western Balkans".

Military political analyst Nedžad Ahatović then clarified that every "neural point" in the Balkans that NATO bypassed - from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia - could very quickly turn into a crisis hotspot. very dangerous, and the gaps that NATO left behind could be filled by Russia," warned Ahatović.

The Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine shows that the war option has not disappeared in Europe and that "no country is safe if it does not have reliable allies". This is what military and political analyst Đuro Kozar points out in his commentary for DW.

"That's why NATO emphasizes the importance of partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina with the narrative that its doors have been open for Bosnia and Herzegovina for years, and that the final acceptance depends only on the candidate, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite the setbacks, definitely is," says Kozar. He points out that the upcoming the visit of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to Sarajevo could strengthen the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH. "It is proof that NATO is BiH's greatest ally," the DW interviewee points out.

For and against NATO - non-respect of earlier decisions

But they do not think so in the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska (RS), whose president Milorad Dodik still maintains good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Professor Duško Vejnović of the Banja Luka Faculty of Security Sciences says that BiH, despite numerous political differences, was unique in its determination to join NATO as a full member.

The BiH Presidency, which has civilian command over the Armed Forces, is also responsible for conducting foreign policy. In 2009, the Presidency decided to formally apply for full membership in NATO, which was also confirmed in the BiH Parliament with the adoption of the Law on Defense.

Vejnović reminds that Nebojša Radmanović, otherwise a member of Dodik's (Milorad) SNSD (Union of Independent Social Democrats), was also a member of the BiH Presidency from the RS entity for BiH's accession to NATO.

He tells DW that this attitude has changed in recent years, and he notes that the authorities in the RS and parliamentary resolutions have opted for neutrality "following Serbia in this respect". "Of course, it is clear to everyone that Serbia is another country and that for such something, apart from a political stance, has no legal basis," says Vejnović.

NATO instead of EUFOR?
What for Vejnović is a "change in the attitude of the RS", for Đura Kozar is "obstruction". "The arrival of Stoltenberg in Sarajevo confirms that NATO cares about BiH as a member of the Partnership for Peace, even though its approach to the Alliance is at a certain standstill due to obstructions from the RS," says Kozar.

He warns that the Commission for Cooperation with NATO is not working, that due to the lack of consensus in the Council of Ministers there is not yet this year's Reform Program, but that NATO is still "not giving up on Bosnia and Herzegovina". "If there are inconsistencies in our Atlantic path - NATO is consistent and he is not giving up, because it is important to him that Bosnia and Herzegovina be under his 'umbrella', and not under the influence of Russian politics," says Kozar.

"BiH is not yet in NATO, but NATO is in BiH," says a DW interlocutor, explaining this by the presence of EUFOR, which consists mainly of soldiers from NATO member states. As Russia can challenge EUFOR's mandate in the United Nations Security Council, alternatives are being considered, and the most likely one is NATO.
"If the UN Security Council does not agree to the extension of the EUFOR mission in 2024, the peacekeeping mission in BiH, based on the Dayton Agreement, would be continued by NATO, which handed over the mandate to EUFOR and which is still at the beginning this year expressed concern about separatist actions and rhetoric of division in Bosnia and Herzegovina," explains Đuro Kozar.

Easing of tensions
Professor Duško Vejnović from Banja Luka believes that the upcoming visit of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to Bosnia and Herzegovina could still contribute to calming nationalist passions.

"The visit of Stoltenberg is also important because the issues of stabilization and peace in BiH are being raised to a higher level. This would certainly contribute to the suppression of nationalism and extremism, which could ultimately result in the functioning of institutions, i.e. the rule of law," according to the DW interlocutor.

- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg should arrive in Bosnia and Herzegovina in mid-November 2023, and the Bosnian-Herzegovinian portal Klix.ba learns that the NATO leader's visit is actually a prelude to the "big meeting" of NATO members in Sarajevo in December 2023. . years.

It is a meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC). The NAC is the political decision-making body within NATO and oversees military-political processes related to security and operational issues that affect the entire Alliance and require a collective decision.