30/05/2018

H. E. Maureen E. Cormack, the US Ambassador to BiH, visited today the newly built facilities of the Agency for Education and Professional Training. The purpose of the visit was a donation ceremony to officially mark the handover of the shooting range safety and ventillation equipment, donated by the Bureau ofInternational Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the United States Department of State, through the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) of the United States Ministry of Justice and US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The donation is worth 398 911,50$.

It took two years from the planning to the realization stage of the project. Ca. 40 tons of safety and ventilation equipment has been installed in the Agency's shooting range. At the ribbon-marking ceremony Director Branko Vukoja expressed pleasure at the cooperation with the representatives of the American Government on the project that resulted in 'a perfect shooting range, made according to the latest standards'.

'The shooting range will be used for training of police cadets attending basic police training from the subject Weapons handling and shooting skills, and also for on-going training of police officers of Bosnia and Herzegovina', stated Vukoja, adding that the shooting range will be open to policemen of all government levels as well and for various specialized training courses too. ' It is only the well trained police officers  who could properly respond to all the tasks they are assigned. Such a facility will help them to use their skills when the need arises, as stipulated by the law – deadly force, the use of firearms ", Vukoja said. 

In her address to the guests at the donation ceremony marking the completion of the project co-financed by the US Government, Ambassador Cormack said ' she is happy to see again the demonstration of the US commitment to building security for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina'.

' The tour of this building made me impressed. The state academy has an important role to ensure that law enforcement is carried out. This new facility is the future in the law enforcement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the United States is pleased to be able to  help the implementation of this project. Today we are marking the completion of the project worth nearly 400 thousand dollars, which provided equipment to use this shooting range in the safest possible way ', the US Ambassador said. She highlighted that well trained police officers are of great importance in any country. In Bosnia and Herzegovina they will contribute to the stronger and better rule of law. "The United States remains truly committed to keeping peace and stability in BiH. We believe that well trained police officers are now more important than ever', stated the Ambassador.

The policewomen from the Brčko District Police, assisted by the Agency's instructors, carried out the first shooting exercise in the new modern shooting range facility.

Prior to the donation ceremony, Ambassador Cormack met with the AEPTM management led by Director Branko Vukoja. During the brief meeting Vukoja informed the Ambassador about the facility construction project, and about the cooperation of the Agency and ICITAP that ran in the form of preparation and implementation of specialized trainings, among them: Training of mentors of police officers, Crowd control, VIP close protection, Green border surveillance, etc which were attended by thousands of police officers and civil servants of BiH. Vukoja and Cormack reiterated the need to continue and further develop copperation in preparing and organizing specialized trainings about illegal migrations, cyber crime, drugs trafficking, financial crime, etc.

Ambassador Cormack was taken on a tour of the entire facility in which the first training sessions are expected to commence in September this year. The complex is divided in management, accommodation and education facilities with the accompanying programmes necessary for training of police officers of our country. So far the Government of our country has invested ca. 12 million KM in the construction of this complex of facilities, which is expected to contribute to strengthening the law enforcement agencies.