Turković with Egrlić: Huge damage to BiH economy due to Croatia's decision

SARAJevo, (Patria) - Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Bisera Turković spoke today with the President of the Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH Ahmet Egrlić.

The Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH has sent an initiative to several addresses requesting the reaction of BiH institutions regarding the measures adopted by the Republic of Croatia concerning road freight transport.

During the conversation, the possibilities that Bosnia and Herzegovina has in terms of reacting to the decisions of the neighboring country's authorities were discussed.

Egrlić informed the minister about how the new categorization in Croatia, according to current indicators, will have negative consequences for carriers from BiH, especially in the Una-Sana Canton.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH is ready to help our businessmen. We have already made certain contacts with the Croatian side on this issue and we expect the talks to continue in order to find a solution," stated Minister Turković.

In his letter, Egrlić informed the competent institutions that the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Croatia has determined the Rulebook on the designation of public roads on which transit traffic of freight vehicles through Croatia must take place, which is detrimental to BiH businessmen.

Specifically, the new Rulebook designates roads on which transit traffic of freight vehicles with a load capacity of over 7.5 tons and a total length of up to 14 meters must take place, and it has ordered the removal of traffic signs, signals, and equipment on routes that cease to represent transit corridors.

However, the Rulebook failed to designate public roads leading to and from individual border crossings between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, which are defined as border crossings for international road transport of goods, based on the Agreement on Border Crossings between the two countries, which entered into force at the end of 2013. These are the border crossings Ivanica - Gornji Brgat, Velika Kladuša - Maljevac, Brčko – Gunja, Strmica - Strmica, and Osoje - Vinjani Gornji.

This means the cessation of the use of these crossings for transit of goods, which is contrary to the Agreement on Border Crossings between BiH and Croatia and contrary to the Stabilization and Association Agreement.

Federal MP Nihad Čolpa reacted to this decision, which came into force.

"With the new shameful decision on the designation of public roads on which transit traffic of freight vehicles must take place through the Republic of Croatia, five border crossings are directly abolished for the transport of goods, which is a huge blow to the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Just as our economy finally started to move due to the weakening of the pandemic, the Republic of Croatia decided to make a unilateral decision which practically imposed economic sanctions on Bosnia and Herzegovina. A unilateral decision to abolish five border crossings for transit traffic of freight vehicles is in direct contradiction with the Agreement on Border Crossings with the Republic of Croatia, as well as in contradiction with the provisions of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina on the one hand, and the European Union and its member states on the other. Therefore, international law is absolutely on our side, but apparently, the quarreling members of the BiH Presidency and the sleepy convocation of the BiH Council of Ministers are not on our side, because they are doing nothing to resolve this international scandal.

If the Republic of Croatia does not urgently lift the ban on the movement of goods across the five border crossings, Bosnia and Herzegovina must inform the European Union about the violation of international agreements and introduce reciprocal measures against Croatia by banning the transport of goods at border crossings where it is of importance to the Republic of Croatia," stated Čolpa.

The Independent Bloc and its president Senad Šepić have also initiated certain initiatives to resolve this situation, warning that the Una-Sana Canton has been significantly damaged.