BH COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AND CROATIAN GOVERNMENT SESSION Plenković conditioned BiH's support on constitutional and Election Law amendments, sees no problem with Trgovska Gora

(Patria) - Croatia is ready to help Bosnia and Herzegovina with its experience on its European path, but expects changes to the constitution and election legislation.

This was stated today by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković at the end of the third joint session of the Croatian Government and the Council of Ministers of BiH held in Zagreb.

Insistence on Election Law reforms

Ministers discussed 32 agenda items. Among other things, cooperation and Croatia's assistance on BiH's European path were discussed.

- Croatia is ready to transfer its experience to Bosnia and Herzegovina with the expectation that certain preliminary issues will also be resolved, such as the issues of constitutional reforms and election law reforms, which are the foundation of the functioning of any state - Plenković told reporters.

He expressed his belief that the new electoral cycle in BiH will begin "with a new, fairer electoral system that guarantees equal rights for all constituent peoples and all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina."

The reform of the election legislation in BiH was not on the agenda of the joint session, but the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Borjana Krišto, emphasized that it is "an issue and an obligation of the political representatives of the institutions of BiH."

- However, I want to emphasize that this is an issue that still burdens relations, political circumstances, and the work of institutions in BiH, and ultimately its European path - Krišto said.

She adds that it is a priority issue and that Bosnia and Herzegovina has committed to implementing limited changes to the BiH Constitution and election legislation within six months, as well as the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, in order to "eliminate any form of discrimination against any individual who does not belong to any of the constituent peoples."

Bosnia and Herzegovina has had candidate status for membership in the 27-member bloc since December last year. Krišto says that BiH is "focused on the process of European integration and that there is a politically and institutionally agreed position on this issue," as well as that it depends on the politicians of Bosnia and Herzegovina "how strongly and quickly they will move forward on the European path." She added that any kind of help from friends in the EU is "of great benefit."

Photo: Twitter/Government of Croatia

Important topics

Krišto also listed the agreement on the reconstruction of the Brčko - Gunja bridge and new bridges over the Sava River, as well as numerous road modernizations such as Mostar - Grude, Jajce - Bihać - Kladuša, Banja Luka - Livno - Split, as important topics, while the initiative to establish the Sarajevo - Zagreb train and the reconstruction of the Una railway was formalized.

- We also discussed other topics, from the issue of the construction of the Trgovska Gora waste facility, the succession of property of the former SFRY, Trebinje airport, and we are ready to invest joint efforts in these matters in the spirit of friendly relations - said Krišto.

A new agreement on border cooperation was also concluded, which includes the construction of new border crossings and the conversion of temporary crossings into permanent ones.

The issue of the construction of a radioactive waste disposal facility at Trgovska Gora, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, was precisely an agenda item insisted upon by ministers from the BiH entity of RS, Staša Košarac and Nenad Nešić, and some deputies in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina also pointed out the importance of it being on the agenda of the joint session.

- Regarding Trgovska Gora and the radioactive waste disposal facility, it is important that it is a location in Banovina that is two kilometers from the border, in an uninhabited area. Low-level radioactive waste would be stored there. Čerkezovac is not intended for high-level radioactive waste - said Plenković.

He stated that they are not aware of any radioactive waste leaks in countries with similar disposal facilities.

- To allay fears, I would like to say that if someone stood 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, in front of the wall of that disposal facility, they would not receive any radiation. That is less than the radiation received by any airplane passenger on a flight - Plenković asserted.