ZAGREB, Nov 8 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Thursday forwarded a bill confirming an agreement on free transit through Ploce Harbour (Croatia) and Neum (Bosnia-Herzegovina) to the parliament for urgent discussion. The agreement
was signed in 1998 and ratified by the Bosnian Parliamentary Assembly. The bill was sent to parliament despite the stance of Maritime Affairs Minister Alojz Tusek that one should wait with the implementation of the agreement until the transformation of ownership of Ploce Harbour is completed and priority concessions granted. Tusek warned that certain articles of the agreement limited the independence of the port authority, particularly articles relating to the establishment of a free and export trade zone, and to the post authority and harbour commission. The Ploce Port authority would consist of 13 members, of whom five would be appointed by Bosnia-Herzegovina, The commission wou
ZAGREB, Nov 8 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Thursday
forwarded a bill confirming an agreement on free transit through
Ploce Harbour (Croatia) and Neum (Bosnia-Herzegovina) to the
parliament for urgent discussion.
The agreement was signed in 1998 and ratified by the Bosnian
Parliamentary Assembly.
The bill was sent to parliament despite the stance of Maritime
Affairs Minister Alojz Tusek that one should wait with the
implementation of the agreement until the transformation of
ownership of Ploce Harbour is completed and priority concessions
granted.
Tusek warned that certain articles of the agreement limited the
independence of the port authority, particularly articles relating
to the establishment of a free and export trade zone, and to the post
authority and harbour commission.
The Ploce Port authority would consist of 13 members, of whom five
would be appointed by Bosnia-Herzegovina, The commission would
have seven members, three from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
each, and one representative from the international maritime law
court. The commission's decisions would be above those made by the
port authority and would be binding both to the authority and
clients.
Government members agreed this was a "difficult agreement", but it
was signed and nothing in it could be changed, while Croatia's own
problems had nothing to do with it.
The government decided to initiate proceedings for the signing of
an agreement with the Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers on
reconstruction andsnf construction of war-damaged homes mostly of
Croats exiled from Bosnia. The government would donate
construction material worth 20 million kuna for the
reconstruction.
The government will set aside US$150,000 as support to the UNDP
project for Bosnia-Herzegovina -- "Sustainable Return to
Posavina". The goal of the project is to support the return of 50
Bosnian Croat refugee families to the Derventa municipality with
the reconstruction of damaged or devastated houses in the Plehan
area in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
(hina) lml