Fazlić called the withdrawal from the Border Agreement a linguistic change

The Declaration on the Pelješac Bridge, signed by 24 MPs of the House of Representatives of BiH Parliament, has caused divided reactions, even among those who signed it themselves. Thus, the media have interpreted differently what the declaration contains and why MPs of the Alliance for a Better Future (SBB) signed it afterwards, reports the Patria News Agency.

Otherwise, MPs from the SDA, Independent Bloc, SDP, DF, A-sda, and BPS first signed the Declaration, and afterwards, SBB MPs signed it, and only after the sentence calling for BiH to withdraw from the Border Agreement with Croatia was deleted from the Declaration.

However, it remains unclear why Amir Fazlić, head of the SDA MPs Club, said it was just a matter of linguistic changes!?

On the other hand, MP Sadik Ahmetović from the Independent Bloc said that he signed the Declaration so as not to be declared a traitor, although, as he stated, this, like some other things, is not the way this issue will be resolved.

In the Declaration, MPs call on the Presidency of BiH and the Council of Ministers to take all necessary legal actions diplomatically towards Croatia, if bilateral solutions with Croatia, i.e., the EU, are not reached within 60 days of this declaration entering into force.

MPs will vote on the Declaration itself later in the session on September 13.

Declaration:

1. We publicly determine that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a maritime state that has its territorial sea and other associated rights in accordance with its status, and according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which particularly relates to the completely free and unimpeded access/connection of the territorial sea of Bosnia and Herzegovina to international waters (open sea) in which the regime of "innocent passage" does not apply, nor the regime of "transit passage", but the regime of free navigation and communication (exactly the same as in international waters) applies to all types of vessels, overflight of aircraft, and laying of submarine cables;

2. We call on the competent authorities of the Republic of Croatia, i.e., the European Union, to immediately suspend all actions that may aim to diminish or completely abolish the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina at sea, which particularly relates to the announcement of the start of construction of the Pelješac Bridge between the so-called Mali Most (extension of the Neretva channel southeast of the port of Ploče) and the Mali Ston Channel;

3. We call on the competent authorities of the Republic of Croatia, i.e., the European Union, to urgently engage in bilateral talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to reach bilateral solutions regarding the delimitation at sea on the principles of respecting the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina at sea;

4. We call on the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina to, in case bilateral solutions with the Republic of Croatia, i.e., the European Union, are not reached within 60 days of this declaration entering into force, take all necessary legal actions diplomatically towards the Republic of Croatia, i.e., the European Union, regarding the protection of the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina at sea, adopt a special Law on the Sea of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and initiate legal procedures before international judicial bodies;

5. We point out to the Republic of Croatia, i.e., the European Union, the need for consistent application of the rules of international law regarding the determination of the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina at sea;

6. We call on the media to comprehensively, interdisciplinarily, and interactively engage in activities to defend the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina at sea based on reasoned facts;

7. We call on all competent institutions at all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina to coordinate activities regarding the protection of the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina at sea;

8. This declaration enters into force on the day of its adoption and will be published in the "Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina."