During the visit, General Mašović participated in an honour guard presentation alongside SACEUR and joined General Wolters for an official office call.

General Mašović also met with other SHAPE leadership and with service members serving at SHAPE from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is an important leader

“Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina is an important leader in the Western Balkans…” General Wolters said recently in honour of the 15th anniversary of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo. “For more than 10 years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has stood shoulder to shoulder with the Alliance in Afghanistan projecting stability abroad, fighting terrorism and deploying more than 1,500 soldiers in peace support operations. These commitments are remarkable.”

The Alliance has worked toward building long-term peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the early 1990s. Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme in 2006 and in 2018 Allied Foreign Ministers said NATO is ready to accept the submission of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first Annual National Programme.

Along with PfP inclusion, NATO supports the European Union Force in Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Alliance is providing planning, logistic and command support for the EU mission, including coordinating NATO programmes and activities. The headquarters for Operation ALTHEA is located at SHAPE.

This year NATO HQ Sarajevo celebrates its 15 anniversary. They are marking the occasion with a series of videos on their social media platforms, which can be found here: www.facebook.com/NATOBIH or follow them on Twitter @bi_nato and Instagram @natobih.