On Sunday evening, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Sarajevo for the first stop of a regional mini tour of the Western Balkans. Accompanied by strong security measures, he met with members of the BiH Presidency at a working dinner upon his arrival in Sarajevo.

During his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stoltenberg had separate talks scheduled with the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Borjana Krista, Minister of Defense Zukan Helez, and officials from the international community including High Representative Christian Schmidt and commanders from NATO headquarters in Sarajevo and EUFOR.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of three countries in the region that is not part of NATO. It is a member of the Partnership for Peace program and has an approved Action Plan for NATO membership (MAP). However, implementation of reforms necessary for full membership has been blocked for years by politicians from Republika Srpska led by Milorad Dodik, who also maintain close ties with Russia.

Stoltenberg will continue his tour after visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina by traveling to Pristina.