Prime Minister Plenković said that the Pelješac Bridge will be built.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Saturday in Žepče, in central Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), that the construction of the Pelješac Bridge would continue despite all the recent protests and the politicization of the issue, pointing out that Croatia has fully met all the requirements which were put forward over the past few years by Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports Večernji List on September 3, 2017.
“If anything needs to be clarified from the technical aspect or the international law aspect, Croatia is open to dialogue and clarification. This is the largest single project that will be co-financed from EU funds with 375 million euros. For us, it represents a strategic link between the southern part of Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the rest of Croatia. The project will proceed, and I believe it will be supported by all political actors in BiH,” said Plenković during his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which included Žepče, Tuzla and Orašje.
Plenković was welcomed in Žepče by the Chairman of the BiH Presidency Dragan Čović. In addition to projects of support for the local communities in Bosnia where Croats live, they also discussed other issues. Plenković pointed out that the Pelješac Bridge would be built on the Croatian territory, adding that technical details were agreed ten years ago when the demands of Bosnia and Herzegovina were accepted.
“Everything has been agreed with regards to the sea passage which will allow ships to reach Neum below the bridge. I personally do not see any major problems and any reason to create tensions in the dialogue between Croatia and BiH,” said Plenković.
Commenting on messages such as those sent by Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Bakir Izetbegović, Plenković said that he did not see any substantial controversies in the relations between the two countries, since nothing has changed after the successful joint session of the Croatian government and the BiH Council of Ministers which took place in Sarajevo in July.
Asked about his opinion on comments coming from the office of Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, that Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing increasing problems of Islamic radicalism and extremism, Plenković responded by explaining that the two countries have a mutual interest to preserve peace and stability and therefore work closely together on security plans. He said he was convinced that security services in BiH were making the utmost efforts to do their job and that Croatia was cooperating with Bosnia and Herzegovina both at the intelligence agencies level and the police level. “Everything we do is done by mutual agreement,” said Plenković.
BiH Presidency Chairman Čović stated that Plenković was a real friend of Bosnia and Herzegovina who encourages the country to continue on its Euro-Atlantic path. “Everything else is connected with the potential elections that will take place in a year. All institutions in BiH must have a common position,” said Čović, who is the Croat member of the BiH Presidency and supports Croatia’s plans to build the Pelješac Bridge.
He also warned that the number of Croats in BiH would be reduced if Croatia did not show understanding for their problems. “We are today at percentages and figures that guarantee that we will survive as a constituent people,” said Čović, adding that it would certainly not have been possible without the support from Croatia.
Plenković also met in Bosnia and Herzegovina with local officials and representatives of Croatian educational and cultural institutions, which are often co-financed by the Croatian government.
Translated from Večernji List.
