GOGANOVIĆ: NATO MEMBER STATES RASPECT OPINION OF THREE CONSTITUENT PEOPLES AND TWO ENTITIES

BRUSSELS, JULY 2 /SRNA/ – Aleksandar Goganović, Deputy Minister of Defence in the Council of Ministers of BiH and Deputy Chair of the Commission for Cooperation with NATO, told SRNA that during his visit to Brussels he met with representatives of NATO member states and that both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining an open dialogue and mutual respect.

"I welcomed NATO's approach, which is not aimed at imposing solutions or telling us what we should do, but rather at listening to the views of everyone in BiH and offering assistance where there is common interest. I find such approach right and constructive," Goganović said. He noted that, in its cooperation with BiH, NATO takes into account the views of all three constituent peoples and both entities, adding that this is not always the case with certain international organisations or within the European integration process. "I stressed that I appreciate NATO's consistent position of developing cooperation with BiH without prejudging membership, which is fully in line with the Reform Programme and reflects an approach that respects the views of all parties in BiH," Goganović said. He said Republika Srpska is not a source of obstruction but consistently insists on respect for the Constitution, the law, established procedures and the Dayton Peace Agreement. During his visit to Brussels, Goganović also reiterated Republika Srpska's position that the time has come to close the Office of the High Representative and that full responsibility for political processes in BiH should be assumed by the country's democratically elected representatives. "BiH can move forward only through agreement among its local institutions and political representatives, without an international protectorate," Goganović concluded.