Some support the construction, while others want to stop the project.
After recent statements made by Bosniac politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), who said that Croatia must not construct the Pelješac Bridge prior to the solution of the border dispute between the two countries, the public and the media in the country are completely divided over the issue, reports Večernji List on August 18, 2017.
The most popular newspaper “Dnevni Avaz” says that the full agreement between the two countries was reached on 7 December 2006, when the intergovernmental expert group agreed on all the details associated with the sea approach to the Bay of Neum, which is why the dimensions of the bridge have been adapted to Bosnian requirements, with the height increased to 55 metres and the distance between pillars to 200 meters, allowing for passage of even the largest ships.
The daily emphasises that the final project and the decision to co-finance the construction from European funds were the results of the fact that the European Commission has been involved in the issue from the beginning.
“Dnevni Avaz” is controlled by Fahrudin Radončić, the leading political opponent of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), which is led by Bakir Izetbegović, one of the opponents of the construction. In a commentary, the daily says that SDA has decided on one in a series of meaningless moves. “The bridge is used for Izetbegović’s permanent pre-election campaign. Brussels has confirmed that the project was prepared in consultation with the Bosnian authorities.”
However, “Oslobođenje” daily offers its readers an entirely different view of the problem. In an interview with Ševal Kovačević, president of the organisation called the Maritime Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it suggests that Croatia wants to implement the Pelješac Bridge project contrary to international rules. “Croatia has conducted a naval aggression on BiH,” said Kovačević, who in recent years has been strongly lobbying for the construction of a major port in Neum. He claims that the bridge would not be constructed over Croatian territorial sea, but over international waters.
Interestingly, the Republika Srpska, the Serb entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, does not appear to be particularly interested in taking part in the discussions on the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, evidently considering this as a disagreement regarding the relationship between Bosniaks and Croats towards Croatia. However, “Nezavisne Novine” from Banja Luka assessed on Friday that this conflict might endanger another project that is much more important for the Republika Srpska, which is the construction of a new bridge over the Sava river at Gradiška.
Still, it is expected that Croatia will grant the permit for the building of the bridge in the spring of next year and immediately after that a tender would be announced. “It would be a major disappointment if the project would be brought into question,” said Igor Pejić, the Republika Srpska official. He announced that a new meeting with representatives of the Croatian government would be held in September when they will consider the documents for the tender. The construction of the new bridge will cost around 23 million euros, with additional funds needed for the building of a road that will link the bridge to the Croatian motorway system.
Translated from Večernji List.
