Košarac: Croatia's decision is scandalous, especially concerning that it comes during the fight against the virus

(Patria) - Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH Staša Košarac requested that competent institutions verify the accuracy of the latest information that appeared in the public regarding the construction of a radioactive and nuclear waste disposal site in Trgovska gora in Croatia, in close proximity to the border with BiH.

Minister Košarac was informed last night by the media that the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy of Croatia has granted the location of the former military depot Čerkezovac in the municipality of Dvor for use by the Fund for Financing the Decommissioning and Disposal of Radioactive Waste of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant.

"This morning, I sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH in which I requested that the official position of the Croatian authorities regarding these media allegations be requested through the diplomatic network. In order to obtain additional information, I have scheduled a meeting for tomorrow with the Ambassador of Croatia to BiH, which I will also request from the Ambassador of BiH to Croatia," said Minister Košarac.

During the day, he also held an urgent phone call with the Head of the EU Delegation to BiH, Johann Sattler, during which he reiterated that Croatia's intention to build a disposal site for nuclear and radioactive waste on the border with BiH is completely unacceptable, which is a coordinated stance of all levels of government in BiH.

"If the allegations that the relevant Croatian ministry has given the green light for the construction of the disputed disposal site prove to be true, my position is that this is a completely scandalous and extremely problematic decision, as it endangers 250,000 people living in municipalities in the Una River basin. I am particularly concerned by the fact that the mentioned information comes at a time when we are facing the coronavirus epidemic, when we are fighting with all our might to protect the health of every person and to mitigate the negative effects on our economy as much as possible," emphasized Minister Košarac.

He reiterated that he is committed to the further development of bilateral relations with Croatia and good neighborly relations.

"I believe that it is completely unnecessary to increase the negative charge in the relations between BiH and Croatia, and I believe that the issue of constructing the disputed disposal site needs to be resolved diplomatically," stated Minister Košarac.

He announced that, after receiving the official position of the competent Croatian authorities, he will also address the EU Delegation to BiH.

"I received assurances from the Head of the EU Delegation to BiH today that they will actively engage and help us resolve this issue," emphasized Minister Košarac.

Concurrently, he added, it is necessary to work on the implementation of the conclusions from the joint meeting he initiated in February with representatives of the competent entity ministries, the parliamentary group "Green Club", and the Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety of BiH, with a focus on forming a legal-expert team.

Minister Košarac concluded that BiH must use all legal possibilities to protect the environment and the health of its inhabitants, which would be endangered by the construction of the disputed disposal site.