SARAJEVO, Aug 8 (Hina) - The Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday adopted an annex to an agreement on a technical solution for a temporary opening of the border crossing at Kostajnica. This would create conditions
for undisturbed passenger traffic at the border crossing between Croatia and Bosnia.
SARAJEVO, Aug 8 (Hina) - The Council of Ministers of Bosnia-
Herzegovina on Thursday adopted an annex to an agreement on a
technical solution for a temporary opening of the border crossing
at Kostajnica. This would create conditions for undisturbed
passenger traffic at the border crossing between Croatia and
Bosnia. #L#
"Works to construct the border crossing can commence. The
implementation of the annex to the agreement can be achieved very
soon," the chairman of the Bosnian Council of Ministers, Dragan
Mikerevic, told journalists in Sarajevo.
About fifteen days are required to open the border crossing,
Mikerevic said.
The Bosnian side responsible for activities relating to the
construction of the border crossing will be monitored by the
Ministry of Civil Issues and Communications. The ministry will be
especially responsible for preventing new incidents occurring such
as the one when Bosnian border services prevented workers and
machinery from crossing the border to prepare for the works.
The chairman of the Council of Ministers expressed his satisfaction
with the current solution, but added that it was not final. In the
current phase the crossing will serve only private vehicles and
passengers, but the transport of goods will not be possible.
The Council of Ministers expects that negotiations can now commence
with the Croatian government on establishing a permanent
crossing.
Expert teams from the two countries should start negotiations in
two weeks at the latest.
"The negotiations should not last more than six months," Mikerevic
said.
The Bosnian side still believes that the crossing at Kostajnica
should be built in such a way to establish a before a bypass, he
added.
High Representatives Paddy Ashdown and US Ambassador to Sarajevo
Clifford Bond participated at the Council of Ministers session.
Representatives of the international community will continue to be
involved in finding an optimal solution to this issue without
unnecessarily over-politicising matters, Mikerevic said.
(hina) lml