For the past three years NATO headquarters (HQ) in Sarajevo has successfully promoted NATO issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) at universities all around the country. This year NATO HQ is promoting its work in BiH and encouraging the Bosnian people to take an active part in the debates on NATO issues on the local level. For that purpose, a city hall forum was organised in Livno on 03. June 2008. The panel contained of the mayor of Livno Mr. Luka Celan, the Norwegian Ambassador to BiH, Mr. Jan Braathu, NATOs spokesperson for BiH Mr. Derek Chappel, and representative for Bosnian Armed Forces.
The goal of the NATO- city hall forums in BiH is to have an open dialogue with the Bosnian people on NATO issues. Because BiH is aiming towards a NATO membership it is important that the Bosnian people are aware of what a NATO membership means in practice.
NATOs spokesperson for BiH Mr. Derek Chappel stated that NATO is working for “a better tomorrow and a stronger today” and explained how NATO is not just a military alliance; it is also a political alliance. The NATO membership sends out a strong political signal, not only for governments but also for business and investors. A NATO membership sends out a signal that a country is stable and secure.
H.E. Mr. Jan Braathu used Norway and its history to explain advantages and disadvantages with a NATO membership and he stated that it is better for a country to have a voice in the NATO alliance than it is to be outside the alliance.