The BiH Presidency member, Dr Dragan Covic, has held the reception for the newly appointed generals of the Croat ethnic background, soon to retire generals and officers nominated for the rank of general. 

The reception was held for the newly appointed generals Slavko Puljic, Vlado Dzoic, Jugoslav Brdar and Anto Jelec; retired generals  Ivica Zek, Zvonko Sesar, Goran Martic and the officers nominated for the rank of general Ivica Pavic, Robert Susac, Marko Stojcic, Ivica Jerkic and Mladen Pavlak. 

The reception was attended by the Federation Minister of Defense, Miroslav Nikolic, and Deputy State Minister of Defense, Marina Pendes.  

All the HVO officers were engaged in the military forces reforms, as well as all the generals who were to go to a well deserved retirement based on the BiH Presidency Decision. All new officers nominated for the rank of general at the State and Entity levels were also included in the military reforms. 

“One phase of the defense reform is behind us, and this is the best guarantee that we have a well qualified officer corps to lead us into a next reform process since that is a condition for BIH to join the Partnership for Peace Program in the coming months”, said the BiH Presidency member Dr Covic.  “I hope that in the next year or two, BiH will build the military structure necessary to join the big NATO family”, added Dr Covic.