Republika Srpska cannot approve the adaptation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement for a number of reasons that are related to major losses that its agricultural production would suffer.
After a meeting with representatives of RS authorities and agricultural producers at which the attitude on the adaptation of the SAA was expressed, the initiator of the meeting Milorad Dodik, President of the RS, said that the RS rejects this agreement because it causes enormous, irrecoverable damage in both short run and long run.
“Europe renounces eight million EUR for the adaptation of the SAA and BiH gives away 81 million EUR of its source income. At the same time, 65 to 70 percent of production and processing that are included in the adaptation of the SAA is located in the RS, and the RS would suffer the greatest damage,” Dodik claims.
Therefore, direct losses on annual level would amount to 210 million BAM and would not be compensated in any way, and Dodik also stated the damage in terms of reduction of workplaces and the like.
“Foreign trade deficit in the field of agriculture in BiH is about two billion and with the conclusion of the agreement on the stabilization of the SAA the foreign trade deficit would increase, and the share of agricultural production and manufacturing industry in the gross domestic product would decrease. These are all negative things that the negotiators from BiH apparently did not want to see and protect,” stated Dodik, adding that in the short run the RS loses enormous incomes, and in the long run it loses development.
Dodik stated that the negotiating position regarding the adaptation of the SAA must be redefined and the solution for damage compensation should be made.
Furthermore, Dodik reiterated that the RS will not accept to talk about the SAA until the issue of the census is solved, i.e. until the “shameful decision on the methodology” is withdrawn.
Dodik added that, when it comes to Croatia, all operations that would be important for the trade of that country and BiH will be conditioned with the decision on the launching of construction of the bridge on the Sava River in Bosanska Gradiška. In this regard, Dodik believes that the Europe requests the adaptation of the SAA precisely because of Croatia, so that this country could place its products in BiH without customs.
“No one can expect to get an open market for their goods and to keep blocking that project for eight or nine years,” Dodik said, adding that these are not conditions, but a clear attitude.
(Source: radiosarajevo.ba/photo: café.ba)
