NATO membership for Bosnia and Herzegovina obstacles and challenges

Abstract

In order to provide for its future security, Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to NATO membership. It intends to be not only a consumer of security, but also a provider of security for its allies. Because of the history and specific regional context of its relations with its neighbors, Bosnia and Herzegovina faces many obstacles. Although Bosnia and Herzegovina is still engaged in a stabilization and reconstruction process, Sarajevo is trying to find the best possible way to achieve the goal of NATO membership. This thesis analyzes the main obstacles on the way to NATO membership, identifies ways to surmount them, and offers some recommendations for future policy. This thesis will, it is hoped, be beneficial to policymakers, who need to promote focused and united national efforts and to generate synergy to help Bosnia and Herzegovina successfully achieve NATO membership and thereby secure a better future for the country and Europe as a whole.