Passage of Defense Reform Legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The United States welcomes the October 5 passage of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Defense Law and Law on Service in the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the state parliament. This is the most significant step towards Euro-Atlantic integration taken by Bosnia and Herzegovina since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords ten years ago, putting to rest once and for all Bosnia and Herzegovina's wartime legacy of separate military institutions. We have already witnessed the fruits of this labor in the deployment of an interethnic Bosnian Explosive Ordinance Disposal team to Iraq in June. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns intends to congratulate all concerned on the progress in defense reform when he travels to the region next week. He will raise, as an equal priority, the need for similar progress on police reform.

The United States looks forward to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s admission into the Partnership for Peace, and eventually NATO, once all conditions, including full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, are met.

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