The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Elmedin Konakovic, stated that the decision of the Presidency of BiH on more active state engagement regarding Trgovska Gora confirms that this is an issue of vital importance for environmental protection and citizens, and that his ministry has now been given a clear role in international communication.
He welcomed the decision of the Presidency of BiH assigning this ministry the task of informing international institutions and the public about the potentially harmful consequences of disposing of radioactive waste at the Trgovska Gora site in the Republic of Croatia.
“I am glad that we have taken a more aggressive approach to resolving this problem, because it is evident that the Presidency’s decision once again confirms that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far had no nominal jurisdiction, no responsibilities whatsoever. The stories coming from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, which we heard from Stasa Kosarac, now fall apart and clarify whose actual jurisdiction it is to act in this matter,” Konakovic said.
He emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after collecting all information from the competent institutions and commissions formed by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, as well as from the ministry itself, will forward all documents and expert assessments to relevant international institutions.
“The most important thing is to refer to expert findings, because experts have repeatedly warned that Trgovska Gora could become a real ecological bomb for BiH, for its most beautiful part – the Una, the Sana, and Krajina,” he stressed.
Konakovic added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far had no insight into expert positions or documents, but that, based on the task delegated to it by the Presidency, it will request the Ministry of Foreign Trade to submit all current and valid expert assessments and documents.
“Everything we receive will be forwarded to the competent institutions, primarily international organizations dealing with environmental protection and international law, including institutions of the European Union (EU),” he said.
At a session held two days ago, the Presidency of BiH unanimously adopted conclusions concerning the disposal of radioactive waste on the BiH-Croatia border.
Primarily, they reviewed the Draft Strategy for the Protection of the Legal Interests of BiH regarding the disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel at the Trgovska Gora site, prepared by a legal team at the request of the Council of Ministers of BiH.
Among other things, the Presidency of BiH requests that the Council of Ministers of BiH urgently consider and adopt the Strategy and instruct the competent ministries to activate mechanisms envisaged by international conventions, in particular the Espoo Convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context and the Aarhus Convention on public participation.
Through this, they tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH with undertaking activities to inform international institutions and the public about the potentially harmful consequences of disposing of nuclear waste at the Trgovska Gora site.
At the session, it was emphasized that BiH should use all available legal and diplomatic means to protect its citizens and territory from long-term and irreversible consequences.
They stressed that the active role of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH (PABiH) is crucial for democratic legitimacy, institutional strength, and a unified state response to this issue.
The Republic of Croatia plans to dispose of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel at the Trgovska Gora site near Dvor na Uni, directly along the border with BiH.
This intention has for years raised concerns among BiH institutions, local communities, and environmental associations, which warn that the disposal site could have long-term and irreversible consequences for the environment and public health, especially in the areas of the Una and Sana rivers.
BiH had previously initiated activities through the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, which formed expert commissions and a legal team. However, the decision of the Presidency of BiH now clearly defines competencies and grants authority to the relevant ministries for communication and the protection of the state’s interests.
