Committees for the borders of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia have not sat on the negotiating table for ten years, despite the announcement that a joint meeting will be organized late last year. Zeljko Obradovic, deputy chairman of the Bosnian Border Commission, said in an interview with Avaz news portal that they had initiated a meeting with the Serbian Border Commission, but that they had received no response.
“We had a principled agreement to organize a joint meeting in September last year. We also provided certain materials but never received a response. As for us, we are ready for talks and I think it would be good if that happened,” Obradovic says.
He added that the president of the Serbian Commission on Demarcation, Veljko Odalovic, had insisted on talking to Bosnian representatives and stressed that a deal was possible. However, he remained silent on formal proposals to organize joint meetings.
As for the border between Bosnia and Serbia, it was identified on the day of our country’s international recognition. In ordinary conversations it is known to say that the border is the middle course of the Drina River, but the borders, according to current world standards, are defined according to certain coordinates.
The Serbian Demarcation Commission has defined four points of contention for them, in the areas around the Zvornik and Bajina Basta hydro power plants and the Belgrade – Bar railway line.
“We have the materials and, I would like to remind you, it would be good to sit down again at the negotiating table after ten years and eliminate the dilemmas, if possible,” Obradovic said.
Bosnian Border Commission has not publicly announced whether it has clearly defined goals. Especially when it comes to the Drina River in the area of Janja and Bijeljina.
The border between Bosnia and Serbia was recorded and identified in 2003. If the border commissions reach a final agreement, the final word is on the national parliaments, which must ratify the border agreement. Serbia insists that the four disputed points be regulated by a separate agreement, so that Serbia still operates the Zvornik and Bajina Basta hydro power plants.
