Elma Kovačević-Bajtal, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Republic of Croatia, told Fena that by adopting the new Law on Foreign Nationals in the Republic of Croatia, significant progress has been made towards resolving the long-standing problem regarding the stay of workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as workers from construction and other sectors, aimed at enabling a longer, simpler stay and work on the territory of the Republic of Croatia.
As she said, this is the result of a multi-year joint action and coordination among the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Ministry of Communications and Transport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Trade Chamber, the Association of Employers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Union of Employers of Republika Srpska, as well as the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia.
“The Embassy has intensively held talks with the representatives of the government of the Republic of Croatia aimed at finding a sustainable solution. The Chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto, also supported the entire process,” she said.
She added that Denis Bećirović, the Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was also included in the entire process. In Brussels, he held talks with European Union officials regarding the necessity of a permanent and systematic solution to the issue regarding the stay and work of professional drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, taking into account their key significance for the undisturbed functioning of international transport and the stability of economic flows.
“We express our special gratitude to Davor Božinović, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, who had announced in May that a solution would be found for this issue, and offered strong support for the implementation of the legal amendments which today bring concrete results for the workers and economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Kovačević-Bajtal said.
She emphasized that by adopting that legal solution, the issue regarding the regulation of the stay of workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina on the territory of the Republic of Croatia had been resolved to a great extent. This enables more stable company operations, as well as smooth international transport operations and other economic activities.
“The competent institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to act jointly towards the EU institutions so that the issue of the status of professional drivers would also be regulated in the long term at the EU level, aimed at ensuring smooth operations for drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are of crucial significance for enhancing the foreign trade exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina, strengthening the competitiveness of the domestic economy, and attracting new investments,” Kovačević-Bajtal added.
It is expected, according to her words, that the new legal solution will contribute to higher legal security for both employees and employers, reduced administrative obstacles, and the further strengthening of economic relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia.
The adoption of the Law on Foreign Nationals in the Croatian Parliament on Friday also opened an opportunity for introducing special visas for professional drivers from the countries of the region, which should resolve a multi-year problem of limited stay in the Schengen area for drivers working in international transport.
