ZAGREB, May 10, 2019 – Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers Chairman Denis Zvizdić on Friday once again accused Croatia of failing to comply with its obligations from the treaty on succession to the former Yugoslavia and return BiH property on its territory, but said he would like the problem to be resolved through dialogue, not international arbitration.
“I’m for resolving relations with neighbours through dialogue… until we exhaust every possibility of a neighbourly agreement,” he told the press in Sarajevo.
Zvizdić said BiH had returned all of Croatia’s property on BiH territory but that Croatia had not reciprocated, despite the succession treaty. “There is no need for a new bilateral agreement… because the succession treaty is enough,” he said, adding that the BiH Presidency had tasked the relevant authorities to work on resolving this issue.
Zvizdić went on to say that Southeast Europe needed more concrete cooperation because there are projects that would benefit everyone. He said the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development annual assembly that was held in Sarajevo this week was an encouragement to such cooperation.
All of Southeast Europe will have much bigger potential if countries work on projects together, he said. “We’re not talking about a new Yugoslavia but a unique region which would be connected through infrastructure and the exchange of workers from Slovenia to Bulgaria.”
Zvizdić said a normal flow of people and capital was in the common interest and that it was absolutely clear that all Western Balkan states remained sovereign within internationally recognised borders. He said Croatia would benefit from revoking quotas for the import of workers, notably in summer.
BiH Foreign Trade Minister Mirko Šarović said the political conflicts in the region strongly curbed economic growth and development, and that infrastructure connectivity was an economic necessity that should not be politicised.
More news about relations between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina can be found in the Politics section.
