Bosnia Slammed for Failure to Sign Transport Treaty

Mirko Sarovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina's minister for foreign trade and the economy, said on Tuesday that the country could lose funds for four projects worth 90 million Bosnian marks (45.9 million euros) if the transport community treaty is not signed soon - adding to criticism already expressed by EU officials.

"I believe the deadline for us to put forward a clear stance and join the transport community is September. If not, we will lose funds for four projects amounting to 90 million Bosnian marks," Sarovic told Bosnian newspaper Nezavisne Novine.

The failure to sign was caused by a disagreement between the state-level government and the authorities in Republika Srpska, the country's Serb-dominated entity, although the state premier insisted it would be resolved soon.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only one of six countries in the former Yugoslav region that did not sign the treaty to join the community which is intended to stimulate the harmonisation of transportation legislation and bring south-east European countries in line with EU laws.

Bosnia had a national transport strategy ready, but days before the Western Balkans Summit in Trieste on July 12, where all the participating countries were to sign the treaty, the government of Republika Srpska, one of Bosnia's two political entities, came up with an additional condition.

Republika Srpska demanded that the Bosnia should internationally represented not only by the state-level transport minister but also by representatives of the two entities.

It asked for the country's transport minister to rotate with the transport ministers from the two entities when speaking and acting on behalf of Bosnia.

According to the constitution, the transport sector comes under the...