Read the integral text of the Declaration on the Pelješac Bridge and SDS amendments

The Declaration on the Pelješac Bridge, by which MPs of the BiH Parliament officially opposed the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, was adopted with 27 votes in favor, 11 against, and one abstention.

In the Declaration, MPs call on the competent authorities of the Republic of Croatia, i.e., the European Union, to immediately suspend all actions that could aim to diminish or completely abolish the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina at sea.

Read the integral text of the Declaration signed by 24 deputies in the text below.

Having in mind that the rights of sovereign states on land, in the air, and at sea are clearly and precisely defined by the United Nations conventions

Expressing concern over the announcement of the imminent start of the construction of the Pelješac Bridge by the Republic of Croatia without an official agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the circumstances of an unsettled state border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia;

Aware of the damage that the construction of the aforementioned bridge could cause to relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia and to the exercise of the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;

Emphasizing the importance and special need to highlight and publicly support the status of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a maritime state enjoying all rights like other maritime states in the world;

Opposing all actions that could aim to diminish or completely abolish the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina at sea;

Calling for, supporting, and advocating for good neighborly relations with the Republic of Croatia on the principles of mutual respect and consideration, and agreement in accordance with international practice in similar cases;

Based on Article IV. 4 (e) of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 165, paragraph (2), point a) of the Rules of Procedure of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH, no. 79/14, 81/15, and 97/15), the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at its ______ session, held on ____. ___ 2017, adopted

A D E C L A R A T I O N

By the Declaration:

1. We publicly establish that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a maritime state that has its territorial sea and other associated rights in accordance with its status, 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 (high seas) where the regime of "innocent passage" or the regime of "transit passage" does not apply, but rather the regime of free navigation and communication (exactly the same as in international waters) applies for 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 could aim to diminish or completely abolish the sovereign rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina at sea, which particularly relates to the announced start of the construction of the Pelješac Bridge between the so-called Mali Mor (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, in the event that bilateral solutions with the Republic of Croatia, i.e., the European Union, are not reached within 60 days from the date of entry into force of this declaration, to 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, the adoption of a special Law on the Sea of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the initiation of 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 engage comprehensively, interdisciplinarily, and interactively 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".

This declaration was supplemented today with a proposal from the SDS Club, and thanks to their votes, the Declaration was ultimately adopted.