Košarac from Belgrade: Open Balkan coming to Sarajevo – Will the 'troika' have the courage to react?

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH Staša Košarac (SNSD) met today in Belgrade with the Minister of Internal and Foreign Trade of Serbia Tomislav Momirović, with whom he discussed strengthening cooperation and improving foreign trade exchange.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the Open Balkan, noting that this regional initiative has increased the volume of trade exchange between member countries by almost 30 percent.

Košarac said that in the coming month he will initiate the holding of a conference on the Open Balkan in Sarajevo.

- We agreed to hold a conference in Sarajevo to which we will invite the relevant ministers from Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania.

Our common goal is to discuss the perspectives and advantages of the Open Balkan with representatives of the chamber system in the RS and the Federation of BiH - announced Košarac.

He reiterated the position of the RS institutions on the need for regional connectivity and strengthening cooperation.

- The Republika Srpska and its representatives at the state level are advocates of BiH's accession to the Open Balkan, primarily because of the benefits for the domestic economic sector - Košarac points out.

He adds that today businessmen from the RS and the Federation of BiH are in an unequal position compared to their colleagues from the region.

- While businessmen from the Open Balkan member countries have unimpeded movement of goods at borders, our businessmen lose a lot of time waiting at border crossings, which negatively affects product quality and jeopardizes delivery deadlines - Košarac stated.

Košarac and Momirović pointed out the importance of integrated border crossings between Serbia and the Republika Srpska and BiH.

- The common position is that we must speed up procedures when it comes to integrating the border crossings Rača and Vardište, which would significantly contribute to increasing foreign trade exchange, faster flow of goods and additional connectivity in the tourism sector - concluded Košarac.

It remains to be seen how, and whether at all, the members of the "troika" will have the courage to react to these statements by Košarac that he intends to bring a conference on the Open Balkan to the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, judging by their previous subservient attitude towards Milorad Dodik and his SNSD, it is very possible that there will be no reaction at all and that Sarajevo will soon host some of the main protagonists of the "Serbian world".