Members of the Joint Commission for Defense and Security of BiH and the Parliamentary Military Commissioner of BiH participated in a working meeting in Zagreb with members of the Defense Committee and the Committee for Internal Policy and National Security of the Croatian Parliament and representatives of RACVIAC

Chairman of the Joint Commission for Defense and Security of BiH Jasmin Imamović, member of the Joint Commission Slavko Matić, Parliamentary Military Commissioner of Bosnia and Herzegovina Boško Šiljegović and representative of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina participated today in Zagreb in a working meeting with the leadership of the Committee for Defense and the Committee for Internal Policy and National Security of the Croatian Parliament and Deputy Director of the Center for Security Cooperation in Southeast Europe (RACVIAC), Rear Admiral Predrag Stipanović.

The aim of the working meeting, which was held in the Croatian Parliament, was the exchange of useful information and good practices with the aim of starting preparations for the organization of the Annual Meeting of the Representatives of the Parliamentary Committees for Defense and Security of the Southeastern European Countries, which, as planned, will be jointly organized by the Croatian Parliament and RACVIAC in mid-2026 in Zagreb.

In his address to the participants of the meeting - Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Croatian Parliament Arsen Bauk, Deputy Chairman of the Committee Anti Deur, Chairman of the Committee for Internal Policy and National Security of the Croatian Parliament Ranko Ostojić, Deputy Director of RACVIAC Rear Admiral Predrag Stipanović and representative of the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina Samir Bašić - Chairman of the Joint Commission for Defense and Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina Jasmin Imamović reminded that the Joint Commission, together with RACVIAC, was the host the last two Annual meetings of the representatives of the parliamentary committees for defense and security of the countries of Southeast Europe, which were held in 2017 and in June 2024 in Sarajevo.

Imamović shared his experience in organizing these annual meetings, and emphasized the importance of holding such meetings in the context of current global and regional security challenges. According to Imamović, the exchange of opinions and best practices will undoubtedly strengthen joint capacities for democratic oversight and help in dealing with complex security issues in Southeast Europe.

"Meetings like this represent a significant step forward in our commitment to regional stability and security. By encouraging dialogue and cooperation, we are convinced that parliamentarians will be better equipped to influence, work on passing laws and advocate for effective democratic oversight of the defense and security sector in their countries. Through parliamentary cooperation, through meetings like this one, everything should be done to act preventively and solve problems that are visible in the defense and security sectors," said Imamović, adding that the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Secretariat of the Joint Commission for Defense and Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina are available to the organizers and hosts of the upcoming Annual Meeting in Zagreb for any type of technical and organizational support and assistance.

The President of the Defense Committee of the Croatian Parliament, Arsen Bauk, the President of the Committee for Internal Policy and National Security of the Croatian Parliament, Ranko Ostojić, and the Deputy Director of RACVIAC, Rear Admiral Predrag Stipanović, thanked the members of the Joint Commission for Defense and Security of BiH and the Parliamentary Military Commissioner of BiH for their long-term support for the work of RACVIAC, as well as for their willingness to support and help the organization of the Annual Meeting of the Representatives of the Parliamentary Committees for Defense and Security of Southeast European Countries at the beginning of next year in Zagreb. They emphasized that the goal of the Annual Meeting is to present the mechanisms and practices of parliamentary committees for defense and security, providing an opportunity for participants to discuss parliamentary procedures, challenges and oversight mechanisms in the areas of defense and security. They also emphasized that special attention will be paid to the OSCE Code of Conduct as a normative framework for parliamentary oversight and democratic control in the areas of defense and security.

After this meeting, a working meeting was held in the Croatian Parliament in Zagreb for officials of parliamentary commissions, as well as representatives of RACVIAC and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. (end)