The Svilaj Bridge and the border crossing between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia opened on September 30th this year after a long wait, but it seems that after the New Year, its fate will be uncertain.
Croatia completed its part of the work on the construction of the bridge and the crossing last summer, and in order for the crossing to be open, at least temporarily, for passenger traffic, it was necessary for BiH to complete its part of the infrastructure.
After this was completed in the next more than a year, the Ministry of Security issued a three-month solution to open this border crossing.
Its fate after December 31 is currently uncertain due to the lack of an agreement between Croatia and BiH on the inclusion of Svilaj in the international transition.
“At the moment, no one knows exactly what the fate of Svilaj is and at the moment there is only speculation about it. Boder Crossing Svilaj must be included in the international agreement between BiH and Croatia on border crossings, only then will it get its formal legal status in terms of permanent existence and categorization of the border crossing.
They have the authority of a special commission appointed at the level of BiH together with the commission appointed by the Republic of Croatia.
Only that body can know and decide the fate of GP Svilaj “, said the spokesman of the Indirect Taxation Authority Ratko Kovacevic.
The Ministry of Security of BiH told Klix.ba that a document was sent to the Presidency on April 17 this year, in which the composition of the negotiating team with BiH was proposed parties and to wait for adoption so that the teams can start negotiations.
The documents awaiting adoption in this state institution are “Proposal of the Basis for Initiating Negotiation Procedures for Concluding the Agreement between BiH and the Republic of Croatia on Border Crossings” and “Draft Agreement between BiH and the Republic of Croatia on Amendments to the Agreement between BiH and the Republic of Croatia on Border Crossings”.
Given the current situation in BiH institutions, ie the boycott of officials from the Republika Srpska, it is uncertain whether Milorad Dodik will participate in making this decision.
Regardless of that, we can only hope that the minister Selmo Cikotic will extend the temporary solution if the decision of the Presidency and the negotiations on the interstate agreement do not take place, Klix.ba writes.
