Long-awaited verdict: Barracks in Han Pijesak is state property, opening the way for BiH to NATO

Real estate of the BiH Ministry of Defence in Han Pijesak will be registered as the property of BiH. The Appellate Panel of the BiH Court passed a second-instance verdict according to which the smaller BiH entity must cede these facilities to the state, writes the Patria News Agency.

The verdict has already been forwarded to the BiH Legal Affairs Directorate and the Republican Administration for Geodetic and Property Affairs of Republika Srpska, ordering the registration of ownership rights over the barracks in Han Pijesak to the state of BiH.

The barracks in Han Pijesak is one of the largest military facilities in the country. 

Had this verdict been passed in May this year, the Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Bosnia and Herzegovina to join NATO would have been activated at the NATO Summit held in Warsaw on July 8 and 9.

Last year, the BiH Court ordered the registration of former JNA property in Han Pijesak to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Judge of the BiH Court Anđelko Marijanović ruled at the end of 2015 that 11,474 square meters of land and military facilities in the municipality of Han Pijesak in Republika Srpska should be registered as property of BiH.

The Government of Republika Srpska did not agree with such a court decision. They filed an objection with the Appellate Panel of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Eight months later, a second-instance verdict was passed, and the authorities in Republika Srpska now have no way to prevent the registration of military property in Han Pijesak to the state.

Although they were aware that the second-instance verdict would be in favour of BiH, the smaller BiH entity deliberately filed an appeal to block our country's path to the NATO Alliance, all under the influence of Russia and Belgrade. They succeeded in doing so for now.

However, there are no more obstacles for BiH, so next year at the NATO Summit, the MAP can be activated, which is a step towards membership in this military alliance. 

In the Federation, more than 20 facilities have been re-registered to the state of BiH without problems so far. 63 perspective military locations located in both entities are awaiting the registration process to the state.