Three sides satisfied with Bosnia and Herzegovina border regime agreement

The finalization of the agreement on border regime with Bosnia and Herzegovina was the main topic of the trilateral Croatia-BiH-European Commission meeting held today in Brussel

The finalization of the agreement on border regime with Bosnia and Herzegovina was the main topic of the trilateral Croatia-BiH-European Commission meeting held today in Brussels. First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić said it was a project beneficial to both sides. “We also discussed the possibility of Bosnian citizens entering Croatia with ID cards, but the decision is up to the Council of the European Union. We will submit such a request, however,” Pusić said. She said there would be about 50 to 60 border crossings between Croatia and Bosnia of various categories, from those equipped to handle live animals to local border crossings, and all has to be up and running by Croatia’s EU entry on 1 July. “We have sped up the construction of border crossings and all will be finished by 31 March/1 April. Those that require special crossings for live animals will then enter the process of accreditation, and by end-May we will sign the three agreements that we have discussed today,” Pusić said. 

Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle stressed that local population in border areas was taken into account and an informative seminar will be organized for them before 1 July. “I invite both sides to complete the border crossing so that they could be fully operational by Croatia’s entry,” Füle said, adding that the final decision on Bosnian citizens entering Croatia with ID cards rested with the EU member states. “July 1 will be an important day – Croatia is becoming an EU member and we all agree that it is good for both countries, as well as for the region,” Füle concluded. 

BiH Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdžija also agreed that great progress had been made. “At the beginning of the year, Neum was seen as some sort of a wall, while Ploče was closed to BiH, the construction of Bijača crossing has not begun yet, the Gradiška bridge was not even boing mentioned, and it seemed like we would be entering Croatia with passports and visas, but all that is behind us now,” Lagumdžija said, adding that said issues had been resolved to the benefit of all. Bosnia will be able to import through the port of Ploče only those goods that can enter the EU and meet EU standards, which is good news for BiH consumers. Lagumdžija thanked the Croatian neighbours for the goodwill to solve the issue of Bosnian citizens entering Croatia with ID cards. “We concur that this is the beginning of a faster track to the EU for us, while Croatia is already there,” Lagumdžija concluded.

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