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SIX AMERICAN SENATORS PROPOSE LAW TO ENSURE THAT NATO DEPLOYS MILITARY MISSION TO BIH IF RUSSIA BLOCKS CONTINUATION OF EUFOR MANDATE





WASHINGTON, AUGUST 5 (ONASA) – A group of American senators has proposed the adoption of a law that would ensure that NATO deploys a military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina if Russia blocks the continuation of EUFOR’s mandate in November this year, Voice of America (VOA) reports.
The senators ask that the US use its influence in NATO to encourage the planning and support of international military forces to maintain a safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially if Russia blocks the continuation of the EUFOR mission at the UN Security Council session, and to strengthen the headquarters of NATO in Sarajevo.
In the context of the situation in the Western Balkans, the senators, among other things, state and request for Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“Maintaining the full mandate of EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of national security, which is in the interest of the United States of America. NATO and the EU are encouraged to renew their mandates due to the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to proactively engage in ensuring a secure environment, especially in the defense sector”, they pointed out.
The six senators behind this initiative are looking for a set of anti-corruption mechanisms as well as tools to prevent the spread of Russian-Chinese influence in the Balkans.
“The six countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) form a pluralistic, multi-ethnic region in the heart of Europe that is crucial for European peace, stability and prosperity,” they stated.
Full support for Bosnia and Herzegovina on the way to obtaining candidate status for EU membership and the necessary reforms to be implemented by the authorities is emphasized.
It is also said that the continuation of peace, stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans is directly related to the opportunities for democratic and economic progress of the people of these six countries.