BOSNIAN ARMY PREPARES FOR A JOINT EXERCISE WITH NATO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 1,2008) - The Bosnian Defence Minister Selmo Cikotic and the Commander of the Bosnian Army General Sifet Podzic met with the US Ambassador to Bosnia Charles English, to discuss a joint military exercise with the NATO.

Although Bosnia is not a NATO member, the military exercise will take place in the area of the northern Bosnian city of Banja Luka in September 2009.

Ambassadot English said that Operation Joint Endeavuor would be the first such exercise outside a NATO member country, under the patronage of the US European Command.

The Bosnian Defence Minister Selmo Cikotic also emphasized that the “Joint Effort” is the first exercise of such proportions which takes place in a country which is not a NATO member.

Cikotic said that the Bosnian Defence Ministry and the Bosnian Armed Forces see that as an sign of special trust, as well as an obligation to perform all the necessary preparations, so that the exercise gives the results expected in the sense of promotion of the Bosnian Armed Forces and the Bosnian Defence Ministry.

”That is also an opportunity”, he emphasized “to use the military exercise for the purpose of strengthening of cooperation with many partner countries’ armed forces and NATO member countries. That will also be an opportunity to fully place in function all the elements of the Bosnian Armed Forces, the Bosnian Defence Ministry and other structures,” Minister Cikotic said..

Cikotic told the press that the fact is that a lot has been done in the process of preparations for the exercise. That especially goes to the Support Command which will, operatively and tactically, carry out most of the activities in the process of preparations and in the very realization of the exercise.
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