U.S. European Command senior leaders met with Bosnia and Herzegovina leaders from the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of BiH to discuss future security and policy matters pertaining to the country in Sarajevo, Feb. 19-20, 2024.
The USEUCOM contingent, led by U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Chris McKinney, the USEUCOM deputy director for partnering security cooperation and countering weapons of mass destruction, joined the high-level meetings led by Alton Buland, principal director, central and southern Europe, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
Discussions included future joint priorities, military training, and other areas of consideration as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ongoing efforts to force modernize and meet capability and interoperability goals as a NATO partner.
“We continue to focus on helping Bosnia and Herzegovina develop itself into a capable force and empower the AFBiH to meet their interoperability and capability targets when training with NATO Allies and partners,” said McKinney. “When our partners build their capability and resiliency honed through ongoing multinational cooperation and operations in a high-intensity environment, they strengthen their ability to maintain national and regional security and stability.”
In late 2021, USEUCOM, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, expanded its support to the country through its European Recapitalization Incentive Program to help with the force’s defense modernization.
Under these same auspices, the attending leaders discussed critical force development along with ways and options for ongoing training opportunities, including with its U.S. Department of Defense State Partner the Maryland National Guard. Discussions of policy support to national and regional defense efforts rounded out the agenda overseen by Buland.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability and security are vital to regional stability and to the United States’ goal of a Europe that is whole, free, prosperous, and at peace,” said Deborah Mennuti, the chargée d’affaires a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo. “With 28 years of U.S.-BiH cooperation and counting, regional security challenges make the continued partnership between the U.S. military and BiH’s single, multi-ethnic Armed Forces an unquestionable imperative. We are committed to helping this important partner strengthen its Armed Forces and secure its place in the Euro-Atlantic community of nations.”
Outcomes from the discussions laid the groundwork for expanded partnerships and addressed new U.S. and Bosnia and Herzegovina security assistance needs and ways the country can support and expand into other international organizations.
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About USEUCOM
U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) is responsible for U.S. military operations across Europe, portions of Asia and the Middle East, the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean. USEUCOM is comprised of more than 64,000 military and civilian personnel and works closely with NATO Allies and partners. The command is one of two U.S. forward-deployed geographic combatant commands headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. For more information about USEUCOM, visit https://www.eucom.mil.
