Bosnian Ambassador to Turkey Mr. Dragoljub LJEPOJA: "Our Main Strategic Aims Are Cooperation With the Neighboring Countries, Membership in the EU and NATO"

Date: 05.04.2012

The third session of the USAK seminar series “The Balkans in the 21st Century and Diplomacy” was held today at the USAK Workshop Hall with the participation of the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Turkey, Mr. Dragoljub Ljepoja, as the speaker.

The conference was hosted by USAK deputy director Mr. Mehmet Tiraş and USAK experts Dr. Güner Özkan, Muzaffer Kutlay, Sena Hatip Dinçyürek and Oğuz Kaan Pehlivan, and was also attended by the Ambassador of Montenegro Mr. Ramo Bralic, as well as many diplomats of other countries, bureaucrats, experts of the region, representatives of several NGOs and graduate students.

The title of Mr. Ljepoja’s speech was “Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Euro-Atlantic Process, Bilateral Relations With Neighboring and Balkan countries.” At the very beginning of his talk, Ambassador Ljepoja stated the main strategic aims of his country are “cooperation with neighboring countries and full membership in the EU as well as NATO.” According to Mr. Ljepoja, since the 1995 Dayton Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina accomplished creating good relations with neighboring countries and the non-neighboring Balkan states. It actively participates in several multinational regional initiatives such as the SEECP and had been a member of the U.N. Council of Security for Eastern Europe in 2010-2011.

‘Bosnia and Herzegovina is the first country which is not a NATO member to have organized a NATO military exercise’

Ambassador Ljepoja divided the rest of his speech into two, and in the first part concentrated on Bosnia-Herzegovina’s approach to NATO. He underlined the fact that his country established its armed forces in accordance with the NATO standards and both the army and the police forces have participated in several international peace-keeping missions. He also mentioned the various legal and institutional progress of his country toward NATO membership and said; “Bosnia and Herzegovina is the first country which is not a NATO member to have organized a NATO military exercise,” referring to Joint Effort 2009 in Banja Luka.

According to Mr. Dragoljub Ljepoja, their application to MAP (Membership Action Plan) was approved with the great support of Turkey in April 2010, during the ministers’ meeting in Estonia. The approval came under a certain condition which entailed resolving a matter of military property, and the ruling parties have achieved taking certain steps on this matter. Mr. Ljepoja emphasized their expectations to finalize this procedure during the upcoming NATO summit in May.

His final remark on the issue of NATO membership was rather significant: “68 percent of the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina is in favor of membership.”

77% of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina are in favor of EU membership

In the second half, Mr. Ljepoja summarized their perspective of EU membership. He expressed the importance of friendly relations with the neighboring countries, and referred to the various regional initiatives including the trilateral meetings which were launched by Turkey’s initiative. He stated that they welcome the EU’s decision to take Croatia as a full member in 2013.

The Council of Ministers could not be established in less than seventeen months after the general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Government intends to work actively on integrating into the EU. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet fulfilled all the necessary conditions to enter the Stabilization and Association Agreement into force.

Ambassador Ljepoja also referred to the other relevant steps taken toward EU candidacy status. And finally, he pointed out that 77% of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina are in favor of EU membership.

This conference will be followed by the Fourth Round of the series with the participation of the Ambassador of Croatia to Turkey, at the USAK House on April 24.

By Sena Hatip Dinçyürek
USAK Center for EU Studies