Jan 15 2021

UK Flag Raising ceremony at Camp Butmir

Today (15 January 2021), Brigadier General Eric Folkestad, NATO Headquarters Sarajevo Commander, hosted a ceremony to mark the United Kingdom’s return to the NATO mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Last month, the UK concluded 15 years within OPERATION ALTHEA, which was the latest stage in 28 years of UK military presence in international missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the words of BG Folkestad,

The transfer of two UK NATO Staff Officers from EUFOR to NATO at midnight on 31st December ensured that not a second went by without an official British presence here. So I am pleased that we have had this opportunity to recognize and thank the UK for its contribution- and the sacrifices of its military personnel- in bringing peace, security and prosperity to BiH.

During the ceremony, H.E. Matthew Field, British Ambassador to BiH, emphasized that “This transfer reflects the UK’s strong interest in continuing the progress being made by the BiH Armed Forces, a rare success story of integration and unity of purpose. These two UK NATO Staff Officers are a physical representation of this commitment, and I am confident they will help to maximise all of our collective efforts in the NATO Mission here.”

Brigadier General Eric Folkestad Remarks (PDF)