Brussels, 25/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 25 January, the Foreign Affairs Council decided to begin providing support for capacity building and training support in Bosnia-Herzegovina, without, however, deciding to bring Operation EUFOR Althea (the EU-led force in Bosnia-Herzegovina) to an end. In conclusions adopted in this connection, the Council underlines that support for training will be organised as part of Operation ALTHEA which will continue to implement its executive mandate in line with Resolution 1895 of the United Nations Security Council.
In practical terms, rather than launch an operation in parallel to Althea, the Council has decided to set up a small, non-executive military mission consisting of personnel already deployed (around 200) within Operation Althea. Decisions relating to the future of Operation Althea, which at this stage deploys about 2000 European, Turkish and Chilean military, will depend on the periodical review that the EU plans to organise and which will take into account the country's “internal situation”, as well as “developments concerning the international community's presence including the future role of the EUSR”, the conclusions indicate. The Council also said that the EU was, if necessary, willing to continue to play a military role in the country after 2010. This military presence should, however, be maintained under UN mandate, which would require renewal of Resolution 1895, after its expiry in November 2010. Operation Althea, we point out, was launched in December 2004 to stabilise the country, ensure good implementation of the Dayton Agreement and support the high representative of the international community/European Union special representative. Given, however, that from a security point of view, the situation in the country has now been stabilised, a number of member states wish to put an end to the operation by scaling down its numbers and transforming it into a non-executive mission focused on security sector reform. (A.By./transl.jl)