Bosnia and Herzegovina may decide to initiate legal proceedings against the Republic of Croatia if it begins construction of the Pelješac Bridge without the consent of the Bosnian authorities, daily newspapers in the country announced on Friday.
This idea was prompted by member of the Presidency of BiH Haris Silajdžić, who sent his legal advisor Dair Arnaut to Paris to discuss specific steps to be taken in this regard with a law firm. "We are ready for any possible option if things continue as they appear, including legal action," Arnaut stated for "Dnevni avaz" upon returning from Paris. Silajdžić and his associates are exploring disputes that Finland and Indonesia have conducted on similar grounds.
Consideration is being given to initiating a dispute before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg as well as before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), explains "Avaz". The Presidency of BiH instructed the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sven Alkalaj on Wednesday to summon the Croatian ambassador to BiH Josip Vrbošić and warn him that BiH has not changed its position regarding the construction of the Komarna-Pelješac Bridge, and that consent for the construction of this bridge is conditioned on resolving the border dispute in the Neum Bay area. Minister Alkalaj is currently outside BiH, so such a meeting has not yet taken place. The Croatian embassy in Sarajevo confirmed that they have not yet received official notification regarding the position of the Presidency of BiH. (H)
