Selmo Cikotić
| Selmo Cikotić | |
|---|---|
 Selmo Cikotić entering The Pentagon in 2007 | |
| Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
|
In office 22 April 2007 – 12 January 2012 | |
| Preceded by | ministry established |
| Succeeded by | Muhamed Ibrahimović |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 25, 1964 Berane, Montenegro |
| Nationality | Bosniak |
| Political party | SDA |
| Alma mater | University of Sarajevo |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Military service | |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Commands |
Operational group Zapad 1st Corps of the Federation Army |
Selmo Cikotić (born January 25, 1964) is a politician of Bosnia and Herzegovina, member of the Party of Democratic Action, and former Army officer. He is the current Minister of Defence, a post he was appointed to in February 2007, but unable to take up officially until 22 April 2007, when a ban on former army officers performing defence-related civilian duties expired.[1]
In February 1993 he was made commander of operational group Zapad of the 3rd Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bugojno.
Cikotić served as the military attaché at the embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United States in Washington, D.C. from December 1994 to 1997. As Brigadier General he was enrolled at the U.S. Army's Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in June 1997, before being expelled as a result of unconfirmed accusations made by Croatian officials that he commanded soldiers who killed and tortured people in and around Bugojno.[2]
From 2000 to 2004 he was the Commander of the 1st Corps of the Federation Army, and from 2004 to 2007 CEO of OKI in Sarajevo.
In June 2007 he jointly attended a Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council at the NATO headquarters in Brussels with the Serbian defence minister Dragan Šutanovac, together they expressed their governments' wish to join NATO as soon as possible.[3]
In March 2008 he led a five member delegation to Pakistan, to discuss "bilateral cooperation between the two Muslim countries".[4]
Cikotić has a master's degree from the University of Sarajevo in 2004 and is fluent in English.
References
- ↑ "Bosnia Gets New Government Four Months After Elections". Journal of Turkish Weekly. 10 February 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ↑ Weiner, Tim (June 28, 1997). "Allegations Halt Army Training For Bosnian General in the U.S.". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ↑ "Former Balkan war opponents aspire to NATO "as soon as possible"". International Herald Tribune. June 14, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ↑ "Bosnian defence team arrives". Daily Times. March 24, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-26.