NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels today, after meeting with the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic that NATO is fully behind the aspirations of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Euro-Atlantic integration.

“Mr. President, it is indeed a great pleasure to welcome you to NATO Headquarters. I attach great importance to having a close dialogue with Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of our aspirant partners. And we thank you for your country’s contribution to our mission in Afghanistan. That contribution shows your commitment to becoming a provider of security,” said Rasmussen.

“In recent months, we have seen significant progress in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In December, after a long period of political negotiations, your main political parties recently reached an agreement to form a government. And in March, you reached an agreement on the questions of immovable defence property which has hampered your progress towards NATO for so long.

I very much welcome these agreements. And I look forward to the decision on defence property being implemented swiftly and smoothly. The sooner that is done, the sooner you will be able to draw the full benefits of the Membership Action Plan, just as NATO Foreign ministers agreed two years ago.

NATO is fully behind your aspirations for Euro-Atlantic integration. The stability and long-term prosperity of Bosnia-Herzegovina are crucial for your region and crucial for Europe.

That will take political efforts, determination and dialogue. But it will be worth the effort because all the countries of this region belong in the Euro-Atlantic community. And let me stress that NATO’s door is open to those who share our values, and are ready to share our responsibilities,” said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in a statement after meeting with the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic.