“The process of Reform & Transformation Requires Constant Adaptation to New Situations and Circumstances”
Defence Turkey: How would you explain your job and official duties? How would you sum up your role?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: Based on the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH (PA BiH) on the appointment of the Council of Ministers of BiH (SM BiH), I perform the duty of Deputy Minister of Defense for Resource Management. In principle, the management of this department implies the management of human and material resources, i.e. directing the work of three organizational units: personnel management, procurement and logistics, and finance and budget. This, of course, implies full and constant coordination with other organizational units of the MoD BiH in the field of policies and plans.
Defence Turkey: Could you please provide some key facts about the Ministry of Defense Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)? Could you elaborate on the structure, responsibilities and number of personnel working at the Ministry?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: The Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina (MoD BiH) was established on the basis of the Law on Defense of BiH. It is one of the nine ministries in the BiH Council of Ministers. According to the structure, the MoD BiH is the only ministry that has a minister and two deputies with their respective cabinets, for policy and plans and resource management, who, in addition to the Secretary and the Inspectorate General, manage seven basic organizational units and three independent internal organizational units. The MoD of BiH consist of appointed persons, civil servants and employees, but also professional military persons. At this moment, out of the systematized 387 jobs, 320 have been occupied. The special organizational unit of the MoD of BiH according to the Law on Defense is the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of BiH with 9500 active members.
Defence Turkey: Can we get an assessment of 2020 from the BiH MoD’s perspective? Could you please summarize the 2020 highlights of the BiH MoD 2020?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: The MoD BiH in 2020 was focused on the implementation of program activities, tasks and activities within the competence of the MoD BiH, cooperation activities and fulfilment of obligations under the submitted documents of BiH cooperation with international organizations, activities to implement measures to combat and prevent the spread the pandemic caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), as well as engagement to assist civilian authorities in preventing the spread of the pandemic. During 2020, significant activities of assistance to civilian bodies were realized on the territory of BiH, whereby out of 473 requests received, 329 were answered and realized. Activities and scope of engagement of AF BiH resources in providing assistance to civilian bodies in case of natural and other disasters during 2020 include engagement in 14 local communities. During 2020, through various activities, helicopters were engaged for the purpose of providing military assistance to civilian authorities through the execution of three medical evacuations by air. In addition, air MEDEVAC shifts (readiness) were performed for the needs of units of the AF BiH and civilian entities. Helicopters were also engaged in extinguishing fires in the areas of five local communities. During 2020, the AF BiH demined an area of 2,481,847 m2 or 75.3% of the 2020 plan. Members of the BiH Armed Forces took part in two international exercises abroad, while 143 members of the armed forces were engaged in peace support operations in Afghanistan, Congo, Mali and the Central African Republic. The functioning of the defense system of BiH and the MoD of BiH, during 2020, were burdened by circumstances that made it impossible to achieve the highest level of implementation of program activities. The activities of the MoD and AF BiH in 2020 were implemented in accordance with the real possibilities and circumstances of the appearance of the COVID-19 virus, as well as the size of the budget. Limited budget funds have prevented the development of infrastructure and equipment, as well as significant improvements in the logistical function of maintenance. Due to these circumstances, the technical condition and age structure of the existing technical material resources is not at a satisfactory level, and there were no preconditions for the development and implementation of significant projects that would initiate the process of modernization of the AF BiH. Despite the aggravating circumstances, a high degree of realization of program activities has been achieved.
Defence Turkey: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused huge global disruption on critical defense operations and programs. How are defense and security procurements conducted by the BiH MoD within the COVID context?
Mirko OKOLIĆ:Defense procurement activities take place in the aggravating circumstances of a significantly reduced flow of people and services and a slow economy. This situation is manifested in difficult procurement and implementation of procurement plans as well as the process of ensuring the regular functioning of the MoD and AF BiH. Particularly negative impact is in the case of procurement, which includes material assets from abroad and funds from the domain of advanced technologies.
Defence Turkey: What can you tell us about the national defense policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)? What is the biggest threat to BiH and the number one security risk facing the country?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: Security developments in BiH and the surrounding area go in the direction of continuous improvement of the security situation in the region and strengthening of good neighborly relations between the countries. With the stabilization of relations, the existence of a wide range of threats and dangers that may have security implications is evident. This primarily refers to global and regional challenges and risks, instability in the Balkans, problems of economic and social nature in the countries of the region, terrorism and extremism as potentially the biggest threats, and organized crime and illegal trade in weapons and people. Along with developments at the global and regional level, internal challenges and risks form a complex security environment in BiH, which especially refers to the remnants of the past civil war and the difficulties in the transition of society.
Defence Turkey: What can you tell us about Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 2021 defense budget?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: The dynamics of achieving the required capabilities of the AF BiH will depend on the ability of BiH to allocate funds in a larger amount than projected amount for the realization of the set defense goals. Such conclusions arise from the need to achieve the necessary level of interoperability, to replace obsolete combat systems and other equipment necessary to achieve the necessary operational capabilities. The defense system does not insist on the structure of the funds in the defense budget, because there is an awareness of the economic and political reality in BiH, but this attitude projects the goal that is necessary to achieve within a reasonable time. The projected budget funds for 2021 are within the framework of budget plans of previous years and amount to about 150 million euros, with certain increases for personnel expenditures in terms of improving living and working conditions for members of the MoD and AF BiH, while funds for the defense budget are reduced due to the impact of the pandemic on economic developments.
Defence Turkey: What projects do you have on modernization of military equipment? Can you list the most important procurement programs of the BiH Armed Forces?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: The Development and Modernization Plan of the AF BiH is a document that creates the preconditions for the implementation of the Defense Review document. In order for the AF BiH to be fully operationally ready to perform the tasks defined by the Law on Defense, it is necessary to develop operational capabilities that will effectively respond to the assessed risks and threats. The plan is fully in the function of supporting the development and achieving the required operational capabilities of the AF BiH, defined in the Defense Review document. In parallel with the implementation of the process of modernization and equipment, training and education systems, the AF BiH will fully support the training of personnel to work on new weapons systems and military equipment and thus ensure the achievement of the required operational capabilities. The key operational capabilities of the AF BiH will be achieved through a series of projects and tasks in the main development areas: personnel potentials and material resources, military education, doctrine and training, international military cooperation and contribution to international security. These projects include investments in: armaments and equipment of the infantry, weapons and equipment of the artillery, engineering and demining equipment, equipment of the atomic-biological and chemical defense, weapons and equipment of armored and mechanized units, military intelligence and communication equipment, communications and IT means and equipment, equipment of the military police service, means and equipment of the traffic service, weapons and equipment of anti-air defense units and means of air surveillance and reporting and means of aviation.
Defence Turkey: Can you provide some key facts about the BiH’s Defense Industry for our readers? Are there both state-run and private companies in BiH’s Defense Industry Sector or 100% of enterprises operating in defense sector of BiH are state-run?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: The sector of military industry BiH it is not state-run and it is not under the jurisdiction of the MoD of BiH. The military industry is mostly owned by private capital, and it is under the jurisdiction of the ministries of two entities, their operations are conducted in accordance with the principles of a market economy.
Defence Turkey: Could you provide a capsule summary of bilateral relations between Turkey and BiH in the field of defense during last decade?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: Relations between Turkey and BiH are at a high level, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Turkey provides significant assistance to the MoD of BiH through various forms. First of all, that support is reflected in the education of the staff of the Ministry of Defense of BiH at the military school system of the Republic of Turkey, while the other area is represented through military-technical assistance and cooperation in terms of donation of material resources. The importance of this cooperation and its level are reflected in the recently signed agreement on military-technical cooperation between the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Government of the Republic of Turkey.
Defence Turkey: How do you evaluate the current state of BiH-Turkey cooperation in the defense field? What do you think could be done to increase the level of this cooperation? What is your forecast for the future?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: The level of cooperation is extremely good and the preconditions for further development of cooperation, in the context of the signed agreement on military-technical cooperation, it will certainly raise that cooperation to a higher level. On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Turkey for the support provided so far in the field of education and training of personnel in the military education system of the Republic of Turkey. The level of this cooperation in the future can be developed through cooperation in the fields of mutual interest and agreement and to a certain extent reciprocity, as a basic principle of international cooperation agreements.
Defence Turkey: Is Bosnia and Herzegovina interested in bolstering defense industry cooperation with Turkey?
Mirko OKOLIĆ: As I have already pointed out, the military industry in BiH is mostly privately owned and business is based on the principles of market economy, and therefore the scope of cooperation is not conditioned by policy from the level of BiH or MoD BiH but by each legal entity of the military industry. These are questions for each company of military industry in BiH or for the competent entity ministries rather than for the Ministry of Defense of BiH.
Defence Turkey: What can you tell us about the BiH Government and BiH’s Defense Industry participation to IDEF ‘21 Exhibition in May 2021?
Mirko OKOLIĆ:The MoD of BiH responded positively to the invitation letter to participate in the IDEF ‘21 exhibition, so that the delegation of the MoD of BiH, which I should personally lead, will participate in the mentioned exhibition. For us in the Ministry of Defense of BiH, it is an opportunity to get acquainted with the current trends in the development of modern technologies in the field of the defense industry, establishing contacts and creating preconditions for potential cooperation in the future. I believe that the participation of companies from the military industry from BiH in that exhibition will also be noticed.
Defence Turkey: Would you like to add anything in the way of a message for our readers?
Mirko OKOLIĆ:The reform of the defense sector is not and cannot be a complete process, as politicians or media sometimes say in a populistic way. The process of reform and transformation requires constant adaptation to new situations and circumstances, and we are witnessing that in the last few decades, these circumstances are changing extremely fast. Therefore, the defense system must be flexible and adaptable to change. The MoD of BiH will continue in the coming period with the development of friendly relations and cooperation both at the regional and global level, as a basis for creating a country of regional and global security. I wish you and your readers good health and that together we overcome the difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic
