Košarac and Đapo: Stance on Trgovska Gora Agreed

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH Staša Košarac spoke today in Sarajevo with the Federal Minister of Environment and Tourism Edita Đapo about the issue of the construction of a nuclear and radioactive waste repository at the Trgovska Gora site.

Minister Košarac reiterated that this issue is one of the key priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, and that he will make maximum efforts to reach a solution in dialogue with Croatia that will be in the interest of all citizens in BiH.

He emphasized the necessity for all levels of government in BiH to engage in this issue and jointly plan future activities, expressing full readiness for the Ministry he heads to coordinate the policy of other levels of government in order to prevent the construction of the disputed repository right on the border with BiH.

He said that he will promote a partnership relationship with the competent entity ministries, in accordance with constitutional and legal jurisdictions.

In this regard, Minister Košarac informed the Federal Minister of Environment and Tourism Edita Đapo that he had previously discussed the issue of the construction of a nuclear waste repository at the Trgovska Gora site with the Minister for Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of Republika Srpska, Srebrenka Golić.

He also announced that he will hold similar meetings in the coming period with representatives of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Regulatory Agency, representatives of the "Green Club," which brings together deputies at all levels of government in BiH, and mayors of municipalities in the Una River basin.

Đapo stated that there is a unified stance in BiH that the construction of a nuclear waste repository is unacceptable, and supported the past and planned activities of Minister Košarac on this issue.

The interlocutors concluded that, after a series of meetings, it is necessary to prepare a complete report, which will be presented to the Council of Ministers of BiH. They also discussed the possibility of allocating funds in the budget proposal for BiH institutions to form a legal and expert team that would represent the interests of BiH in a potential international arbitration with Croatia.

Other current issues were also discussed at the meeting. Among other things, Minister Đapo informed Minister Košarac about the environmental permits and met standards regarding the construction of Block 7 of the Tuzla Thermal Power Plant.