“NATO’s decision to grant Intensified Dialogue status to Bosnia and Herzegovina shows the International Community honors its promises to reward the country for progress,” said the High Representative/EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajčàk.

NATO leaders in Bucharest yesterday granted Bosnia and Herzegovina “Intensified Dialogue” status.

Intensified Dialogue means that contacts between Bosnia and Herzegovina, NATO, and NATO’s member states will be stepped up to prepare the country for aMembership Action Plan, which can lead to full NATO membership.

“NATO’s decision is a clear reward for concrete progress on the defence reform agenda, which itself comes just 16 months after BiH joined the Partnership for Peace,” said Lajčàk. “The country has shown that it is serious about defence reform and its NATO aspirations”.

Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the Partnership for Peace in December 2006 – less than a year after laws creating a single military force entered into force.

The High Representative/EU Special Representative congratulated BiH Defence Minister, Selmo Cikotic, and the Chairman of the BiH Joint Chief of Staff, Sifet Podzic as well as all members of the BiH Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces who worked so hard to make this success possible.