ZAGREB, July 4, 2018 – The Bosnian Presidency has called on all government levels in the country to launch proceedings in Croatian courts for the restitution of properties owned by Bosnian legal subjects, Presidency member Mladen Ivanić said in Sarajevo on Tuesday.
The Presidency met to discuss the status of assets owned by Bosnia and Herzegovina, its two entities and its legal subjects in the wake of Croatia’s recent amendments to its law on state assets management, which make it possible to grant concession of up to 30 years on unused properties owned by other states.
As a state, Bosnia and Herzegovina has launched proceedings in Croatian courts for the recognition of ownership rights in seven cases, but its entities and legal subjects have not, prompting the Presidency to call on them to take action.
The management of property which BiH legal subjects own in Croatia was also discussed today by the Council of Ministers. Justice Minister Josip Grubeša told reporters that the ministers agreed on legal steps to resolve the problem, but said ownership rights were guaranteed by the constitution, so the properties in Croatia would not be alienated. “This is an incentive to bolster bilateral negotiations with institutions in neighbouring countries so that the properties can be returned to interested persons in BiH,” he said.
Asked how much the properties in Croatia claimed by BiH subjects were worth, Grubeša said they were mainly dilapidated structures. “It’s clear we are talking about the most attractive properties on the Adriatic coast. They have their value. But… we shouldn’t speculate on the value of the properties. We should… find a way, through bilateral talks, to continue to manage those properties,” he added.
