Schook, who will be at the helm of NATO special headquarters in Sarajevo which will will start functioning after the completion of the SFOR mission, told a news conference that outstanding progress had been achieved in implementing the Dayton Agreement and strengthening peace in Bosnia.
Since December 1995 when some 60,00 NATO soldiers were deployed to Bosnia so as to secure peace and the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, more than 500,000 soldiers from 42 countries have been deployed in Bosnia.
According to general Schook, the mission was successful and the Alliance decided to end it, but NATO will remain present in Bosnia where it will have the leading role in the implementation of defence reform, the arrest of war crimes suspects and the struggle against terrorism.
General Leakey said the soldiers under his command would have even more duties that SFOR soldiers had because they will also be in charge of fighting organised crime.
We will work together with the authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the general said.
He said that the presence of some 7,000 soldiers from 312 countries was a guarantee that there would be not resumption of hostility in Bosnia and Bosnian citizens would be assured that the international community was determined to preserve peace in the country.
Every six months the European Union will evaluate the situation in the field and adopt decisions on the reduction of the number of soldiers accordingly, Leakey said, but added that a total withdrawal would be possible only after Bosnia firmly embarked on the path to EU membership.