SARAJEVO, July 16 (Hina) - The chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic and Transport and Communications Minister Branko Dokic have taken the edge off negative comments in reports of Bosnian media which
covered Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan's visit to Sarajevo on Monday.
SARAJEVO, July 16 (Hina) - The chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina's
Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic and Transport and
Communications Minister Branko Dokic have taken the edge off
negative comments in reports of Bosnian media which covered
Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan's visit to Sarajevo on Monday.
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"I am personally unpleasantly surprised by negative assessment of
Racan's offer to engage Croatia in the construction of sections of
(pan-Euroepean) Vc road corridor passing through Bosnia," the
Bosnian premier Terzic told reporters on Tuesday.
He explained that Bosnia had not been given any choice as it did not
have enough money for anything, including the building of a high-
way.
That's why the offer of the private company Bosmal to ensure 300
million euros required for the elaboration of a feasibility study
on the matter, was accepted by Sarajevo without much consideration,
he added.
"The project of Bosmal can fail only if the company does not abide by
elements which it has proposed," Terzic said on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, he was quoted by the Dnevni Avaz daily as saying that
he would gladly mull over the offer of Premier Racan and use
Croatian experience.
Until the end of the week, the ministerial council and Bosmal should
sign a contract and after that the company has a four-month time
term to collect the necessary funds.
On Tuesday, Bosmal issued a press release saying that it would be
able to secure 2.5 billion dollars required for the construction of
the highway. Bosmal added that companies from Bosnia would be given
priority in receiving jobs in the highway construction but
companies from neighbouring countries and a wider area are also
welcome for their engagement in this job, according to the press
release.
Terzic stressed that the construction of the VC corridor's sections
would be reasonable only if it was a regional project.
"It is good that both Croatia and Hungary are interested in the Vc
corridor," Terzic was quoted by Dnevni Avaz as saying.
He said that Croatia's experience in road construction was valuable
and added that Sarajevo would be glad to consider what Racan would
offer.
Terzic said that it was only certain that Croatia as a State could
not be granted a concession for the construction of a road passing
through Bosnia, but this possibility was also rejected by Premier
Racan during his visit to Sarajevo two days ago. On that occasion
Croatia's PM said this was a job for companies and not for
countries.
A question whether to invite public tenders or not remains to be of
crucial importance. The Croatian delegation explicitly suggested
the announcement of public tenders.
Bosnian Transport Minister Dokic said this would not be necessary
if Bosmal did all what it had promised to do. Anyway, Bosnian
authorities will seek ways to protect the State and its companies,
Dokic added.
(hina) ms sb