U.S. SUPPORTS BOSNIA'S MEMBERSHIP TO NATO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (April 19,2008) – U.S. Embassy’s Head of Office in the northern Bosnian city of Banja Luka Heidi Jovanovic stated yesterday that the US strongly supports Bosnia on its road to NATO and will continue supporting the country in every way in the NATO association processes.

She emphasized that the decision made by NATO at the Bucharest Summit to ask Bosnia to enter the Intensive dialogue Phase followed fast after the Association to Partnership for Peace, which is a clear sign that NATO is highly appreciative of Bosnia.

She emphasized that members of the alliance want to deepen cooperation and partnership with Bosnia and that the decision on Bosnia’s Intensive Dialogue phase is mostly a result of successful implementation of the Bosnian defence reform.

”Although the reform has not ended, results achieved so far are nothing less than extraordinary”, she emphasized and added that defence reform success is a proof that leaders at the entity and state level can make real changes by passing such decisions and by finding compromise, which will make Bosnia move forward.

Those changes will strengthen Bosnia’s position in the Euro-Atlantic processes, for the benefit of all Bosnian citizens, she emphasized at last night’s reception for representatives of BiH political life organized by the US Embassy’s Office in Banja Luka, on the occasion of NATO’s decision to ask Bosnia to start the Intensive Dialogue phase.
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