prijava
BRUSSELS, November 22 (FENA) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement yesterday on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in BiH.
"Twenty-five years ago, the Dayton Peace Agreement brought an end to nearly four years of brutal war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The presence of NATO troops played a central role in bringing the warring parties to the negotiating table,” Secretary-General Stoltenberg said.
He said that once the agreement was signed, NATO forces oversaw its implementation.
"We have remained on the ground ever since to help maintain peace and security in the Western Balkans,” he added.
The NATO Secretary-General pointed out NATO’s role in support to the process of reforming the country’s national security institutions. One of the most significant achievements has been the creation of the Joint Armed Forces.
"At the end of the war there were more than 400,000 troops, bitterly divided between three armies; today there is a single professional army of around 10,000 soldiers and 5,000 reservists under a unified chain of command,” he underscored.
The NATO Secretary-General praised Bosnia-Herzegovina for its contributions to Euro-Atlantic security.
He also said that even though 25 years on, there is still much work to be done.
“We cannot – and must not – return to the past; compromise may be difficult, but it is vital if the citizens of this country are to have the lives they deserve," he stated.
"NATO will continue to support Bosnia-Herzegovina. A quarter of a century after Dayton, it is time to recommit to peace, to reform, and to a prosperous future for all,” he added.
(FENA) A. B.
