The German federal government has decided to allow four infrastructure projects with a total value of 105 million euros to expire in the Bosnian entity of Republika Srpska and to complete them successively in this way, the German Embassy announced today.
The background of this is the continuation of the secessionist policy of Republika Srpska and its president Milorad Dodik. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the project partners were informed about this decision.
We are talking about projects for the rehabilitation of the Trebinje hydroelectric power plant, phases III and IV, the Hrgud wind farm, and waste water disposal in Gradiška. The last mentioned project is the subject of cooperation with the Swiss Confederation, it was announced today.
They also state that the German government decided to temporarily stop four infrastructure projects in April 2022.
“As a reaction to the decisions of the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska from December 2021 to restore jurisdiction and create its own institutions with the aim of weakening the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the German government decided in April 2022 to initially temporarily stop four infrastructure projects. However, there was no withdrawal of the secessionist measures requested by the German government. Instead, the President and the Government of Republika Srpska continued to escalate the political crisis. The German federal government has therefore now decided not to restart the suspended projects. The projects will be successively completed in accordance with the contract. This decision does not explicitly refer to other projects of German development cooperation that are implemented at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina or the Western Balkan region, and thus include the Republika Srpska, as well as to cooperation with civil society”, they pointed out and said:
“The German government supports the approach of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union. Germany is ready to further intensify cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina, both in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska. The fundamental requirement, however, is the preservation of peace, the rule of law and the territorial integrity of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
