Bosnia meets all formal requirements for NATO membership: Bosnian leader

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Bosnia and Herzegovina has met all formal requirements for NATO membership, Bosnian leader Denis Becirovic said on Monday.

"Bosnia Herzegovina can no longer go back. Now we are at the door of NATO, and we should use this opportunity for the sake of all the citizens. We have shown that Bosnia Herzegovina is a reliable partner... All the formal conditions for an invitation to Bosnia Herzegovina have been met," Becirovic said at a joint press conference with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

This is the third meeting between Bosnia Presidency Chairman Becirovic and Stoltenberg in just over a year.

He added that all state institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina have adopted all of the necessary legal documents required for submitting membership applications to the alliance.

Stoltenberg, for his part, reiterated his support for Bosnia Herzegovina's territorial integrity and sovereignty, emphasizing Bosnia as a long-term NATO partner.

He said NATO received a recommendation that Bosnia and Herzegovina be given candidate status, given the progress the country has made.

"We welcome efforts to strengthen cooperation between the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO and strengthen your capabilities within NATO standards. We are ready to strengthen political dialogue and cooperation for our common future and security," Stoltenberg said.

Bosnia-Herzegovina's top priorities are to join the political and economic community of European states, as well as NATO.

In 2006, the country began participating in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. Later in 2010, it was invited to participate in NATO's Membership Action Plan (MAP), a program of advice, assistance, and practical support tailored to the specific needs of countries seeking to join the alliance.