ZAGREB, April 3 (Hina) - The Croatian government must not concede to persistent calls from Sarajevo to ratify the existing Ploce-Neum agreement and subsequently ratify an annex changing the Ploce harbour's management structure,
Croatian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Zdravko Tomac told reporters Thursday.
ZAGREB, April 3 (Hina) - The Croatian government must not concede to
persistent calls from Sarajevo to ratify the existing Ploce-Neum
agreement and subsequently ratify an annex changing the Ploce
harbour's management structure, Croatian parliament's Foreign
Affairs Committee chairman Zdravko Tomac told reporters Thursday.
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Tomac gave a statement to the press after a closed session which was
called at the request of an MP of the Croatian Social Liberal Party
(HSLS), Josko Kontic, who sought information from the foreign
minister about the course of negotiations on the Ploce-Neum
agreement between Croatia and Bosnia.
"We agreed that the parliament cannot first ratify the old
agreement without making changes and subsequently ratify an annex
amending it," said Tomac.
The agreement on free passage through Croatian territory enabling
the use of Croatia's Ploce harbour and passage through the Neum
corridor on Bosnian territory was signed in 1998. However, Croatia
later challenged the content of Article 9 of the agreement
according to which a commission supervising Ploce Harbour would
consist of three members from both countries, while the seventh
member, from the international community, would arbitrate in cases
when the two sides fail to reach agreement.
Article 9 is contrary to the Constitution because "in a way it
introduces an international protectorate" over a part of Croatia's
sovereign territory, Tomac said.
He recalled that the agreement had been signed not long after the
Dayton agreement and was unacceptable today because circumstances
had changed in the meantime.
The Bosnian parliament ratified the agreement, while Croatia,
which has not yet done so, wants to simultaneously ratify the
agreement and the annex changing Article 9.
According to the draft annex, both sides wave the seventh member of
the commission and commit themselves to settle disputes via ad hoc
arbitration.
The Bosnian government "orally" agreed to the changes, said Tomac.
Bosnian Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic last Thursday voiced
support to the announced changes of the agreement, saying that it
was in Bosnia's interest to participate in the Ploce port's
management.
The Bosnian government, however, did not discuss this either at
last week's or today's session, said Tomac, adding the reason for
this was the current crisis in the Bosnian government caused by the
resignation of Bosnian Presidency head Mirko Sarovic.
Tomac said that the Foreign Affairs Committee had at today's
session agreed to ask the Committee on the Constitution, Rule Book
and Political System for an opinion so that it may receive
information about what the exact procedure in line with the
Constitution might be.
(hina) lml sb