Bosnia and Herzegovina Security Ministry: Certain officials use firefighting for political purposes

(Patria) - Due to the heatwave that has affected the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past period, large forest fires have been activated in the wider area of Herzegovina. All services from the protection and rescue system in Bosnia and Herzegovina are making maximum efforts to bring the fires under control, i.e., to localize them in order to protect the population and material goods.

Bearing in mind the limited resources for aerial firefighting available to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with the Framework Law on Protection and Rescue of People and Material Goods from Natural or Other Disasters, the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted appropriate decisions based on which the possibility of seeking international assistance for firefighting was created.

Based on a request submitted to the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the acting director of the Republic Administration of Civil Protection of Republika Srpska, Milan Novitović, for seeking international assistance in protection and rescue, assistance was requested from the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia for firefighting in the Trebinje area. The request of the Republic Administration of Civil Protection of Republika Srpska stated that the fire threatens the population and material goods and that all available firefighting resources have been used.

The request for international assistance was submitted in accordance with the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of the Republic of Serbia on cooperation in protection against natural and civilizational disasters. Thus, today two helicopters of the MUP of R. Serbia participated in firefighting in the vicinity of Trebinje.

Unfortunately, the so far good cooperation between the competent institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia in the field of protection and rescue is being disrupted by statements of certain officials who use even such situations as fires for political or other purposes, which does not contribute to good neighborly relations, state from the Ministry of Security of BiH. 

In the evening hours, a lightning strike caused a new fire in the Trebinje area.