A meeting of the framework agreement of BiH, Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia on the Sava Basin finished yesterday with the signing of declaration guidelines for further implementation of the framework agreement.
The framework agreement on the Sava came into force in 2004 and the strategic goal is cross-border cooperation of states to work to ensure sustainable development of the region regarding the Sava basin.
This agreement includes the establishment of an international regime of navigation of the Sava and its navigable tributaries. This includes sustainable water management and measures for floods, ice, drought, and control of the release of hazardous substances into the water.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade of BiH Ermina Salkičević – Dizdarević said that the Sava Commission is a good example of regional cooperation in the management of the Sava river basin.
“The Sava Commission is working on directives that was signed by the EU and on the basis of that certain protocols were established, and flood protection, management of river sediments and the protocol on the management of emergency situations’’, said Salkičević – Dizdarević at a press conference.
Chairman of the Sava Commission from Serbia Miodrag Pješčić said that this fourth meeting in Sarajevo is historical, because ‘’in preparations is more than 11 projects and investments for its realization’’.
The Secretary of the Sava Commission Dejan Komatina explained that the regional projects are based on water protection and the ecosystem. There are also development projects from the area of navigation on the river and development of tourism.
Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Slovenia Dejan Židan said that the meeting was very important because the Sava is a joint river and if you have a joint river you have joint plans.
“We have to protect our citizens from floods. When there is a drought, we have to help them with drinking water and water for agriculture. The result is that we have clean water, for example people who live in Belgrade to have drinking water from the Sava. For states that enter the EU, we are already working on plans for the next seven years and within a few months we must harmonize all necessary projects that will be realized in our four countries’’, explained Židan.
The Deputy Minister for Agriculture of Croatia Snježana Španjol called on the representatives of the four countries to immediately begin with preparations for the project documentation tied to the navigability of the Sava, environmental protection, for tourism and defense from floods.
(Source: Fena)
