Members of the PA BiH Delegation to the NATO PA participate in the 107th NATO PA Rose-Roth Seminar in Brussels

Chairman of the Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH) to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), Kemal Ademović, and Deputy Chair of the Delegation, Marina Pendeš, are participating in the 107th NATO PA Rose-Roth Seminar, which began today at the European Parliament in Brussels.

The seminar, titled “EU-NATO Cooperation: A Key Partnership and Democratic Resilience,” is organized in cooperation between the NATO PA and the European Parliament, with the support of the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport. It has brought together around 100 participants, including senior officials from NATO and the European Union (EU), representatives of other international organizations, and experts.

At the opening of the seminar, participants were welcomed by Vice-President of the European Parliament Sabine Verheyen, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola via video message, President of the NATO PA Marcos Perestrello, and Switzerland’s Ambassador to NATO Jacques Pitteloud.

The speakers emphasized that the EU and NATO share numerous common goals, and in that context, highlighted the importance of deepening mutual cooperation—particularly through increased investment in defense capabilities and strengthening the democratic resilience of states—all with the aim of preserving collective peace and security.

During the panel titled “NATO-EU Cooperation: A Foundation for Democratic Resilience in the Age of Hybrid Warfare and Foreign Interference,” speakers included European Commission Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska.

The panelists highlighted positive examples of candidate countries that are making progress on their path toward European integration. At the same time, they warned of the challenges some countries face in their reform processes, particularly due to increasingly prominent hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns, which hinder progress toward EU membership.

They emphasized the need to strengthen strategic coordination between the EU and NATO in countering these threats, including foreign interference in democratic processes such as elections. Special emphasis was placed on the ongoing Russian interference and the spread of disinformation aimed at destabilizing and undermining democratic institutions.

During the discussion, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos particularly emphasized that the European Commission recognizes the current political crisis and the stagnation of the reform process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, she expressed hope that a reform agenda will soon be adopted and that the country’s European perspective will be revitalized.

The remainder of the seminar will focus on the challenges of foreign interference in democratic processes, with an emphasis on strengthening digital sovereignty and improving the coordination of EU and NATO security policies.

The afternoon session will be dedicated to combating disinformation and information manipulation, featuring presentations on models of cooperation and threat analysis related to digital channels. Representatives from NATO and EU security studies institutes will speak on these topics.

The day will conclude with a session on the role of defense institutions in protecting democratic systems, featuring addresses by EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations Tom Goffus. (end)