FM Kovač, Republika Srpska delegation talk status of Croats in RS

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miro Kovač met with Republika Srpska’s (RS) Vice President Josip Jerković and Minister for Refugees and Displaced Persons Davor Čordaš

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miro Kovač met with Republika Srpska’s (RS) Vice President Josip Jerković and Minister for Refugees and Displaced Persons Davor Čordaš. The officials discussed the relations between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, status of Croats in that country and how to continue assisting them.

“We talked in general about the relations between Croatia and Bosnia and how we will continue to help Croats in that country, who are constituent and equal to the other two nations in Bosnia. We focused on the status of Croats in RS and agreed to continue cooperating with them so that they could be satisfied, grow economically and contribute to the overall situation in Bosnia,” Kovač said.  

The officials also discussed the mechanism of cooperation between Croatia and Bosnia as well as the State Office for Croats Abroad. “My ministry will continue to support Bosnia, as we wish for it to head towards the EU, and we are convinced that Croats in Bosnia and RS will be a strong EU integration engine,” Kovač said, announcing his visit to Bosnia and Croats in RS.

Jerković told the press he presented to Kovač several requests concerning the betterment of the status of Croats in Bosnia, notably RS, including cross-border cards for the citizens of Brod and Gradiška, who are daily crossing the Sava River.

Čordaš pointed out that of all the Croats in Bosnia, the fewest are living in RS. “For us, cooperation with the Croatian government is vital. Croatia is assisting us the most and the largest number of displaced persons from RS are living there. Apart from our institutions, practically the only one who is helping us is Croatia, and even that has started to diminish recently,” he said.

Čordaš told the press that the talks also focused on the regional housing programme, as part of which more than 1800 houses of Croats displaced from RS are set to be reconstructed. The programme is progressing extremely slowly and not one house has been reconstructed in the past four years. According to Čordaš, one of the reasons why are the Croatian institutions, as the inspection of the status of potential recipients is going very slowly. 

Press releases