SARAJEVO, March 24 (Hina) - The Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency on Wednesday adopted a decision on the new organisation of the armed forces which, among other things, envisages a considerable reduction of the existing armies of the
country's two entities.
SARAJEVO, March 24 (Hina) - The Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency on
Wednesday adopted a decision on the new organisation of the armed
forces which, among other things, envisages a considerable reduction
of the existing armies of the country's two entities.#L#
In accordance with NATO standards and criteria Bosnia has to meet to
join the Partnership for Peace programme, the new armed forces will
have 12,000 soldiers, of which 8,000 from the army of the Croat-Muslim
federation and 4,000 from that of the Bosnian Serb republic.
Presidency member Borislav Paravac told reporters the reserve troops
would number 6,000.
The new armed forces will include 12 generals, Paravac said, adding
that the Presidency had agreed that none of the currently active
generals would be appointed to the new command duties as part of
efforts to get rid of the war-time baggage associated with most of
them.
Paravac went on to say that in accordance with an agreement among
political parties, the first military chief-of-staff would be a
Bosnian Muslim officer since the first defence minister is a Serb,
Nikola Radovanovic.
The Presidency asked Radovanovic to nominate by the end of next week
candidates for the posts of military chief-of-staff and head of the
Operations Command, who should be a Croat.
(Hina) ha