The strong ties between Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO are also stipulated by the Dayton Peace Agreement.

No country outside the Alliance has such strong ties with NATO as Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is full institutional consensus regarding NATO membership.

The competent state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina have adopted all necessary legal, strategic, doctrinal and operational documents in the field of defence and security.

It is the obligation of the state institutions to implement all necessary activities for the admission of Bosnia and Herzegovina into NATO membership.

It is important to emphasise that there is also strong public support for NATO membership.

Around 70% of the citizens of our country want Bosnia and Herzegovina to become a NATO member.

Therefore, support in our country is higher than it was in neighbouring countries in the region at the time they became NATO members. Comparatively speaking, in some countries that support barely exceeded 50%.

These facts are far stronger than the irresponsible statements of certain destructive politicians who attempt to deny the institutional consensus and the majority will of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Over the past two decades, Bosnia and Herzegovina has made significant progress towards NATO membership.

Our path so far has been gradual, but consistent. I will mention some of the achievements:

-        accession to the Partnership for Peace in 2006;

-        adoption of strategic documents (Security Policy, Defence Policy, Defence Review…) which continuously confirm the strong commitment of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Euro-Atlantic integration;

-        participation in numerous NATO programmes and exercises;

-        participation in international peace support operations;

-        enhancement of interoperability, from the activation of the Membership Action Plan to continuous cooperation through annual national programmes (that is, the Reform Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina).

On its path towards NATO membership, Bosnia and Herzegovina has achieved important and concrete results.

Among other things, the state authorities have:

-        adopted six annual Reform Programmes of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were submitted to Brussels, while preparations are underway for the adoption of the 2026 document;

-        adopted the Individually Tailored Partnership Programme for the period 2025–2028;

-        adopted multi-year projects for the modernisation of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH), including pilot training, procurement of helicopters, uniforms, armoured personnel carriers and ammunition;

-        increased budget allocations for defence (over the past three years by more than 150 million BAM), which has resulted in strengthening operational capabilities and improving the standards of AFBiH personnel;

-        adopted documents and standards for prioritising future infrastructure investments, with the aim of ensuring more efficient use of resources.

In addition to the above, it is important to emphasise that in the past several years we have:

-        strengthened the operational capabilities of the AFBiH (in both personnel and material-technical terms), which includes the establishment of a reserve component within the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the AFBiH, the training of 27 young pilots over the previous two years, as well as an additional 12 during 2026 and 2027, which is several times more than during the previous ten years;

-        intensified activities aimed at implementing the modernisation plan of the AFBiH, within which funds have been secured for the financing and implementation of projects worth more than 200 million euros (donor funds amount to more than 165 million euros, while around 35 million euros are from the budget);

-        strengthened bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities with key allies and partners, which also resulted in the signing of a number of important agreements;

-        improved decision-making procedures within the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which enabled more efficient assistance to civilian structures in cases of natural disasters and emergencies (more than 50 decisions were adopted for the engagement of AFBiH resources);

-        intensified the participation of AFBiH personnel in international exercises. In the period from 2023 to 2026, AFBiH personnel participated in 261 NATO-organised activities;

-        intensified activities aimed at implementing projects for strengthening professionalism and ethics, as well as NATO programmes in the field of integrity building.

Also, we should not forget that we have:

-        actively participated in international peace support operations;

-        continued mine action activities, with the AFBiH contributing more than 30% to the overall demining effort in the country. Over the past three years, 39 million square metres of land have been cleared of mines and returned for civilian use. Approximately 1.5% of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina still remains contaminated. More specifically, 1,553 mines have been removed;

-        responsibly continued the disposal and management of surplus unstable and obsolete ammunition. Significant progress has also been achieved in this segment over the past three years and, in accordance with the decisions of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, more than 361 tonnes of unstable ammunition were demilitarised in the period 2023–2025;

-        declared and evaluated the AFBiH Light Infantry Battalion Battle Group, which was successfully assessed by NATO;

-        successfully hosted the NAC visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024;

-        successfully organised the NATO Partner 360 Symposium 2024 as hosts;

-        and ensured that Bosnia and Herzegovina was invited for the first time to contribute to the NATO Response Force, that is, high-readiness forces capable of rapid deployment at short notice.

I am pleased that today I can also mention positive examples that will contribute to strengthening the energy security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Activities are underway to finalise the important strategic project of the Southern Gas Interconnection, whose overall significance goes beyond the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

By diversifying energy sources, we are strengthening our economy, overall security and resilience, as well as strategic partnerships.

The economic strengthening of Bosnia and Herzegovina directly contributes to its security, reduces the space for destabilisation and increases society’s resilience to both external and internal pressures.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our results would have been even better had there not been destructive and anti-Dayton activities.

Unfortunately, for years the leadership of the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska has been undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement and openly working against the Euro-Atlantic integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The year 2025 was particularly challenging, when we faced open attempts to dismantle the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nevertheless, thanks to responsible and institutional action, the worst-case scenario was avoided.

The dangers have not disappeared in 2026 either.

The leadership of the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska continues to threaten peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Hybrid activities have also intensified, primarily manifested through:

-        the spread of disinformation;

-        cyber attacks on critical infrastructure;

-        propaganda activities;

-        foreign malign influence aimed at destabilising state institutions and undermining the constitutional order;

-        and the activities of Russian state media outlets, such as Sputnik Serbia and Russia Today, which regularly disseminate anti-NATO and anti-EU content, promote political narratives close to Moscow and emphasise ethnic divisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We must not ignore these threats, as they may have serious consequences for the stability and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region.

In the coming period, we must maintain a high level of vigilance, further strengthen the resilience of institutions and society as a whole, and improve coordination mechanisms with international partners.

It is particularly important to continue reforms in the fields of security, judiciary and public administration, in order to respond to contemporary threats, including hybrid challenges and disinformation.

At the end, I would also like to offer several concrete proposals aimed at accelerating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s NATO path.

I believe it is extremely important that:

Bosnia and Herzegovina be even more firmly institutionally incorporated into the Alliance’s security framework. This includes, among other things, an enhanced NATO presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the adoption of a strategic concept that strengthens security guarantees for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the development of concrete political and military action plans for crisis situations;

the operational and advisory presence of NATO in Bosnia and Herzegovina continue;

the integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into NATO be accelerated through the creation of new mechanisms, supplements to the Reform Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would help remove obstacles and speed up the integration process;

Bosnia and Herzegovina be provided with a clearly defined and credible confirmation of its NATO membership perspective. I remind you that Bosnia and Herzegovina has formally and substantively fulfilled all conditions to receive an invitation for NATO membership;

NATO, through strategic communication, continue emphasising that the security and political stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina are in the interest of the Alliance;

in the event that the extension of the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina is prevented, NATO prepare a response in accordance with Annex 1-A of the Dayton Peace Agreement. A security vacuum in Bosnia and Herzegovina could have catastrophic consequences.

In addition to the above, I propose that:

through joint measures, the resilience of Bosnia and Herzegovina to hybrid threats be strengthened through more concrete support and stronger connectivity with NATO in terms of strategic communication and cyber security in Bosnia and Herzegovina;

cooperation in the field of energy security be intensified in order to reduce dependency and increase resilience;

the strengthening of AFBiH capacities continue through NATO support packages;

and the participation of AFBiH personnel in NATO training programmes and international exercises continue.

Esteemed members of the North Atlantic Council,

Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a reliable partner that understands contemporary security challenges.

We are aware that NATO membership is not only a privilege, but also a serious responsibility.

We are convinced that strengthening the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina simultaneously strengthens the security of the entire Southeast of Europe.

Therefore, I call upon you to support Bosnia and Herzegovina even more strongly.

Our path is clearly defined, and our strategic goal remains NATO membership.

Thank you for your attention.