Denis Bećirović, a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, spoke in the respected Austrian independent newspaper Der Standard about the deterioration of the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the anti-constitutional and anti-Dayton activities of the president of the entity of RS, the previous engagement and the extension of the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the role of the ALTHEA mission in preserving peace, security and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in the Western Balkans region.

Bećirović said, among other things, that "EUFOR's previous engagement in BiH, especially in terms of support in maintaining a safe and peaceful environment, was of importance for the stable political, economic and social development of the state of BiH, announced Bećirović's Cabinet.

The newly emerging geopolitical circumstances

According to him, taking into account the newly emerging geopolitical circumstances, caused by the brutal Russian aggression against Ukraine, the decision to extend the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina proved extremely important and justified.

- The executive mandate of the ALTHEA mission, which is of great importance for peace, security and stability, not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also in the Western Balkan region, proved to be essential. In Dayton, NATO received a clear task of preserving peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina in an international agreement. This is currently being implemented through the EUFOR mission. According to the agreement, these forces, among other things, have the mandate to ensure peace, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to stop all destructive forces that threaten the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH, with broad powers that include the use necessary forces, when necessary - said Bećirović.

Security and peace in BiH

He said that, unfortunately, the security and peace in BiH are seriously threatened by the dangerous pro-Russian and separatist policy of the president of the BiH entity RS Milorad Dodik.

- He openly started the anti-Dayton and unconstitutional dismantling of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Peace in BiH and the region is seriously threatened. It is the last hour to stop the spread of the Ukrainian crisis on the territory of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and thus also on the southeast of Europe. Bearing in mind the latest dangerous unconstitutional decisions of the RS entities, with the aim of timely action and prevention of possible negative consequences, as well as preserving stability and security in BiH and the Western Balkans region, the urgent deployment of additional and significantly stronger EUFOR forces in Bosnia is extremely important and Herzegovina, in the shortest possible time. I believe that the new EUFOR troops should primarily be deployed in the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in other strategic areas - said Bećirović.