NATO Secretary-General Concerned About Separatist Rhetoric and Russian Interference in Bosnia

Jens Stoltenberg, the head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has expressed concern about separatist rhetoric in Bosnia and Herzegovina and "foreign interference in the country, including from Russia."

This statement was reported by AP.

At the same time, the NATO Secretary-General emphasized that the North Atlantic Alliance and its allies support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia. Stoltenberg stated, "NATO has been committed to Bosnia-Herzegovina for years. Your security matters for the Western Balkans region and it matters for Europe."

Recently, there has been active discussion in expert circles about Russia's efforts to destabilize Bosnia and the broader Balkan region, aiming to divert global attention from the war in Ukraine.

In particular, the Kremlin has openly expressed support for the pro-Russian president of the Bosnian Serbs, Milorad Dodik. The politician openly calls for the dissolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the annexation of the Serb-controlled part of Bosnia to neighboring Serbia.

"This threatens to undermine stability and hampers reform,” Stoltenberg said. “All political leaders must work to preserve unity, build national institutions and achieve reconciliation. This is crucial for the stability and the security of the country," emphasized Stoltenberg.

It is worth noting that NATO played a key role in ending the war in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995. At that time, a peace plan was implemented jointly with the United States, leading to the division of the country into two autonomous regions – one controlled by Bosnian Serbs and the other by Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats.

The region controlled by Bosnian Serbs has long blocked Sarajevo's application for membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.

Earlier, The Gaze reported that in September, ethnic Serbs, allegedly acting with "political, financial, and material-technical support from official Belgrade," broke through the border and stormed a village in northern Kosovo with armored vehicles. Armed individuals clashed with the police and took defensive positions in a Serbian monastery. Control over the territory was later restored.