On the first day he met with members of the Slovenian contingent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are working as part of EUFOR’s Operation Althea and the NATO forces in Sarajevo.

They exchanged views on security and the general conditions in the field of operation and in the wider region, on the status of the operations and Slovenia’s continued participation in them.

He also met with the Commander of the EUFOR Althea forces, Austrian Major General Reinhard Trischak, and the Commander of NATO headquarters in Sarajevo, American Brigadier General Marti J. Bissell.

After the meeting, the prime minister said that both commanders had praised the contributions of Slovenia’s armed forces. The level of cooperation of the Slovenian soldiers in both missions is very good and makes a significant contribution to preserving peace and stability in the region. The presence of EUFOR and NATO makes it possible for the Bosnian armed forces to get up and running and to become a compatible security element, and helps maintain stability and prevent the escalation of unforeseen situations in the region.

All of the attendees agreed that the EU and NATO must remain committed to supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire Western Balkans region, and in line with this Slovenia advocates for maintaining a military presence there, as the armed forces still play a crucial role in providing security and stabilisation in those countries.

Slovenia has participated in various peacekeeping operations and missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1997.