PM Andrej Plenkovic: Croatia will build Peljesac bridge on its own territory

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Tuesday that Croatia would build the Peljesac bridge on its own territory, rejecting the possibility of delaying the project because of opposition from Bosniak political parties in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The Peljesac bridge will be built on Croatian territory and that's the most important fact. All technical details have been discussed by experts for years. If our friends in Bosnia and Herzegovina need any clarification, they will get it from all relevant services, including the government, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure," Plenkovic said in Livno where he had begun his two-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He said he had discussed the Peljesac bridge construction bridge by telephone with the Chairman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers, Denis Zvizdic, adding that Neum, a town on the Bosnian stretch of the Adriatic coast, would also benefit from the bridge construction.

"I think that Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the Neum area, will also benefit from this project, which aims to connect the south of Croatia with the rest of the country, because it will relieve the pressure and traffic jams during the tourist season," Plenkovic noted.

Plenkovic was welcomed by the chairman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency, Dragan Covic, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Borjana Kristo, and local government officials.

They visited Silvije Strahimir Kranjcevic Secondary Vocational School whose renovation had been financially supported by the Croatian government with 1.050 million kuna. Plenkovic said that Croatia's ongoing support for projects of Bosnian Croats speaks of its relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and its ethnic kin in that country.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina is our most important neighbour with which we are developing excellent relations and with which we want to improve the economic cooperation and political dialogue and resolve the outstanding issues. However, being a responsible country, we want to provide support to the Croats as a constituent and equal people in Bosnia and Herzegovina," the Croatian prime minister said.

Plenkovic promised he would try to resolve the issue of recategorising two local border crossings at Livno -- Vaganj and Kamensko -- as international border crossings.

Plenkovic announced the possibility of increasing support for Bosnian Croats from the Croatian budget to ensure that they stayed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which he said was Croatia's strategic interest.

"We have to do all we can to ensure their inclusion in the labour market and the strengthening of the economy, because without that it will be difficult for them to survive here," he said.

Croatia plans to open a consulate in Livno soon so that local residents with dual Bosnian and Croatian citizenship would not have to travel to Mostar for consular services.

After Livno, the Croatian prime minister travels to Siroki Brijeg and Mostar where he will conclude his visit on Wednesday.

Text: Hina

News