Tegeltija vs. Dodik: We don't need messages about war, about the army, we need investments in BiH

(Patria) - Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH Zoran Tegeltija at today's European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Investment Summit for the Western Balkans invited investors to invest in BiH, and stated that they must know that they are investing in a friendly country.

Listening to Tegeltija's address, one would get the impression that BiH is functioning perfectly and that there are no blockades initiated by SNSD cadres and its party leader Milorad Dodik.

However, Tegeltija did not talk about blockades and the announced halting of projects financed by European Union funds until state institutions are unblocked. Today, he spoke about the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Every resident is aware of the importance of foreign investments and of enabling all our potentials and raising the standard of citizens. This guarantees you stability and security of your investments. At this moment, BiH has better macroeconomic indicators than we expected after the end of the pandemic. The capability of our economy to unite in difficult circumstances has been shown," Tegeltija stated.

The BiH Prime Minister did not only focus on the economy but also touched upon the situation in Ukraine.

"We do not need messages about war, we do not need messages about military forces in BiH. If anyone understands the situation and difficulties in Ukraine, it is the citizens of BiH. We need investments in energy, where we have enormous potential for renewable energy sources. BiH is friendly towards foreign investors," said Tegeltija.

However, while Tegeltija tries to present BiH as a normal, functional country, asking the EBRD to invest in projects in BiH, his party leader Milorad Dodik presents the exact opposite of what Tegeltija said today.

Dodik's statements are well-known, such as that "RS will turn to other partners," referring to Russia and China, if the EU stops its investments or if RS faces sanctions due to the blockade of state institutions since July 2021, threats of secession and unilateral transfer of competencies from the state to the entity.

A serious warning has arrived from the EU about halting 1.2 billion KM for infrastructure and road and rail transport projects.

"The European Commission has received requests for European Union support for the Corridor 5C project, including two projects located in the territory of Republika Srpska. The agreements for these two projects amount to 600 million euros, but this money will only be disbursed after state institutions become functional," stated European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi on his Twitter profile last week after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.