18/06/2026

Today, French Ambassador François Delmas met with participants of the training programme for members of the special intervention units of SIPA, the Brčko District Police, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Police Administration (FUP) and the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska (MUP RS). The training is being delivered by instructors from GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale), the elite tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie, specialising in counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, the protection of high-ranking officials, and crisis response.

Accompanied by AEPTM Director Marko Vujević and the Internal Security Attaché of the Embassy of the French Republic in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lieutenant Colonel Louis Boquien, Ambassador Delmas observed the training activities at the shooting range and tactical training grounds within the Agency's training complex.

Addressing both the participants and the instructors, Ambassador Delmas stated that, as Ambassador, he was extremely proud that the French Gendarmerie was present in Bosnia and Herzegovina, recalling that GIGN is among the world's most prestigious and highly respected special intervention units.

"The French Gendarmerie is never deployed somewhere by chance. The very fact that they are here with you demonstrates that relations between our two countries, particularly in such an important field as the security of our citizens, are at a very high level, based on trust and mutual respect. Together with you, we want to invest in the future. We live on the European continent and are part of it. Serving the security of both your citizens and ours, and working together, means contributing not only to the safety of our respective countries but also to the security of the entire European continent. That is of great importance to us," Ambassador Delmas said.

He also referred to Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path, highlighting the existence of very concrete operational cooperation.

"I hope that in the future our partnership will become even stronger and closer. That is precisely the purpose of the activities carried out by GIGN members in Bosnia and Herzegovina," Ambassador Delmas concluded. He thanked Director Vujević for the successful cooperation, the GIGN instructors for their dedicated work, and the members of the special intervention units for their commitment to serving the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Director Vujević also used the opportunity to express his gratitude to the French Embassy for its long-standing and successful cooperation, achieved through numerous education and professional development programmes for law enforcement officers from Bosnia and Herzegovina in various fields. He emphasised that French instructors have played a key role in helping participants from different police agencies master international best practices in addressing contemporary security challenges.

"I hope that you will apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired from the instructors of the French Gendarmerie in your daily work and share them with your colleagues within your respective police organisations," Director Vujević said, announcing additional specialised training programmes, the details of which will be agreed upon with the commanders of Bosnia and Herzegovina's police agencies.

As a reminder, under the training programme, the first week is being conducted at the AEPTM training complex, while the second week will take place at the MUP RS Police Academy.

The programme combines both theoretical instruction and practical exercises in three areas:

• Firearms training (intervention shooting, shield-assisted shooting, vehicle close-quarters battle (VCQB), and long-range marksmanship);
• Tactical operations (operational procedures, tactical movement, close-quarters battle (CQB) room-entry techniques, and shield and non-shield tactics); and
• Mission preparation and planning (hostage situations, active violent offender scenarios, police entry into residential premises, open-area arrests, counter-terrorism operations, and assault planning).