Bećirović on the Pelješac Bridge: We need a passage to the open sea, BiH is not just the center of Sarajevo

The Croatian government claims it will not abandon the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, which would connect the Dubrovnik-Neretva County by land with the rest of Croatia, regardless of warnings that this bridge would block Bosnia and Herzegovina's access to the open sea and that Croatia would thereby violate Article 7 and Article 10 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated on Monday during a visit to the island of Hvar that the bridge - for which the European Commission, under questionable circumstances, allocated around 357 million euros - is a strategic issue for Croatia, regardless of reactions from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Some analysts have assessed such a stance by Prime Minister Plenković as unfriendly and very arrogant towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatia is arranging its own country at the expense of neighboring BiH, whose institutions cannot resist incursions from Croatia due to the poor political climate in the country.

SDP representative in the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović, emphasizes in a comment for the Patria agency that the state leadership of Bosnia and Herzegovina should not be criticized and subjected to a media campaign over announcements that the controversial bridge will be built regardless of the other side's opposition, but rather, he says, they should urgently take serious steps to protect the interests of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- The key body that needs to react in this case is the Presidency of BiH, the Parliament of BiH also has its share of jurisdiction, as does the Council of Ministers, which should be working more than it is now. They are often asleep when it comes to some important issues for the state. The issue of state sovereignty and territorial integrity is important for the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its citizens. We must start developing a sense of statehood in people. And, in addition, one should know that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not just what happens in the center of Sarajevo or some other city; BiH is every inch of its territory - Bećirović believes.

He says that in the case of the dispute over the Pelješac Bridge, the most important thing is to define several key things, and then the dispute could be resolved much more simply. First of all, Bećirović says, Croatia needs to understand that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a maritime state. Building a bridge in the Mali Ston Bay would turn it into a landlocked state, which would mean a violation of international conventions by Croatia, to which Croatia has clearly and loudly committed itself.

As the chairman of the state Parliament of BiH in the previous term, he recalls, he discussed the issue of the Pelješac Bridge, which was also a current topic at the time, in Zagreb with then-Croatian President Ivo Josipović, Parliament Speaker Josip Leko, and then-Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić. Bećirović emphasizes that Croatia's policy at that time showed much more understanding towards BiH than the policy pursued by the current Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.

- BiH has its territorial waters, and in accordance with UN conventions, it has the right to a connecting corridor from its territorial waters all the way to the open sea. That is key. BiH must not give up on that. Because it is in the interest of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Every state would defend its territory - Bećirović says, adding that we could see such a stance a few weeks ago precisely in the case of the dispute between Croatia and Slovenia.

- The connecting corridor of BiH to the open sea is subject to absolute freedom of communication, and according to the conventions, any construction of artificial islands or other structures that could prevent BiH's access to the open sea is prohibited there - Bećirović adds.

Finally, he says, how is it possible that Croatia mentions any construction in this part of the sea when the maritime border between Croatia and BiH has not even been defined yet.

For Bećirović, it is very important that BiH and Croatia show concrete steps aimed at the two states continuing to develop good neighborly cooperation. This cooperation, in his opinion, has no alternative. But, Bećirović is clear, good neighborly cooperation must be based on mutual respect for the rights of both states, not on the undermining of one state by the other.

- We need to talk with colleagues from Croatia. This issue should be resolved to mutual satisfaction, and I think that is possible. It is enough to respect international conventions and the mutual sovereignty of both states.