NEW YORK – UN Security Council unanimously passed the Resolution 27/06 on Thursday, thus confirming that the EU military deployment, EUFOR Althea Mission, will stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina, N1 reported.
According to Swiss representative at the UN Security Council, Pascale Baeriswyl, EUFOR is significantly contributing to the peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the region.
She said that the security and prosperity of BiH are based on unity and respect for the Dayton Peace Agreement, expressing support to the work of the High Representative until the conditions for the closure of his office are met. Baeriswyl expressed hope that the Bosnian leaders will put maximum effort to reach constructive dialogue on the path to EU, while protecting human rights and fighting corruption.
The mandate of the European Union Force (EUFOR) Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been launched in 2004 with the main objective of securing a Safe and Secure Environment in BiH. In February, right after the war in Ukraine started, EUFOR deployed additional 500 personnel, bringing the total number of EUFOR forces in BiH up to 1100, followed by deployment of a German military contingent of approximately 50 people in mid-August last year.
Željko Komšić, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, expressed satisfaction with the extension of the mission’s mandate.
He said that, following the achievement of peace as a goal of the Dayton Agreement, now the goal is the transition to a modern democratic State, adding that that this has not been completed.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina has remained trapped in the vortex of ethnically based policies and various ethnically projected goals. The Dayton Agreement has become a tool for various geopolitical contests and Bosnia and Herzegovina is not allowed to transition to be a modern democratic State. Ethnic politics and ethnic groups are used to create tension and destabilisation, to achieve short- and long-term geopolitical goals more easily. I consider such geopolitical behaviour towards Bosnia and Herzegovina absolutely unacceptable”, Komšić said.
High Representative Christian Schmidt, who oversees the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement in BiH, submitted his biannual report on Thursday warning about unprecedented attacks against the peace deal and the constitutional and legal order of the country.
Schmidt, whose report was presented in the session, was not present at UN headquarters.
In the report, he stressed importance of confronting the efforts of Republika Srpska government to weaken fundamental freedoms, rule of law and constitutional fundaments of the country and its institutions.
US representative to the UN reiterated full support of the US and the entire international community to the High Representative and his work. He also expressed strong support to the country’s full integration in the transatlantic community and the EU.
On the other hand, Russian Federation’s representative accused the Western actors of undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement. He said that the EU and NATO integration was an “obsessive” wish of the Western countries, claiming that this is not what the people in BiH wish for.