GOGANOVIĆ SUPPORTS SERB GENERALS OF THE BiH ARMED FORCES

EAST SARAJEVO, MAY 9 /SRNA/ - Deputy Minister of Defence in the Council of Ministers Aleksandar Goganović has supported the generals of the Armed Forces of BiH of Serb ethnic background, stressing that ever since he assumed the office, he has been warning the Minister of Defence Zukan Helez that the defence system should not be used for political purposes.

"He didn't listen to me and as an epilogue we have the public reaction by the BiH Armed Forces generals of Serb ethnic background, who have my absolute support," said Goganović responding to SRNA's question to comment on the generals of the Armed Forces of BiH of Serb ethnic background’s open letter to Minister Helez.

Goganović explained that the defence system is the most complex and the largest system at the level of BiH, the reform of which has involved a lot of effort from the international community, the NATO alliance and EUFOR.

"We all need to work together to calm tensions down. Unfortunately, colleague Helez is trying to score cheap political points with his public statements and decisions, thereby causing immeasurable damage to the defence system.

Unlike Helez, I have never made the long and patiently built defence system collapse with my statements and decisions. "Political points must not be more important to us than the members of the Armed Forces", emphasized Goganović.

He has stated that he expects everyone to remain calm and his colleague Helez not to appropriate the competences of the BiH Presidency and to finally understand that this is a multi-ethnic system that can only develop through mutual respect and agreement, with the support of the international community.