The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany announced today that the Federal Government will suspend the preparation of four infrastructure projects planned for Republika Srpska worth 105 million euros. This news came just a few hours after the meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Milorad Dodik, which showed that Vučić still finds understanding for Dodik.
These are valuable projects in the field of energy and ecology. Germany will stop investments in the "Rehabilitation of Trebinje Hydropower Stations III and IV, Hrgud Wind Farm and Wastewater Supply in Gradiška".
The reason for this decision by Germany is that the political leadership does not give up on the decision to "return the original competences" to the Republika Srpska entity, based on the conclusions of the National Assembly from December last year. As part of this process, the authorities in the RS refuse to withdraw the controversial Law on Immovable Property, which the High Representative in BiH Kristijan Šmit, using the Bonn powers, abolished.
In this regard, Germany will stop the aforementioned investments until the authorities in RS withdraw the existing measures and until the blockade of political institutions in BiH is ended. It was said that this country "will strongly oppose any political and economic destabilization of Bosnia and Herzegovina through separatist aspirations", and that instead it will firmly stand on the side of BiH and that it is ready for "expanding cooperation and more intensive support for the processes of Bosnia and Herzegovina's approach to the European union".
A member of the German Bundestag and a good expert on the Balkans, Josip Juratović explained to Sarajevo's N1 that this decision was "just" because investments were not canceled but only suspended", until the authorities in the RS accept that "no one in Europe, not even in Germany" will not allow the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina to weaken.
According to him, these are important projects for the future of the RS and the entire BiH, and if the politicians in the RS were aware of this, they would not have taken the steps they are taking.
After America and Great Britain, Germany is the third western country that sees Milorad Dodik as the main culprit for instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Regardless, after the meeting with Vučić, Dodik stated that "he has no intention of changing the basic elements of his policy", because "many are trying to threaten the RS".
"I continue to be involved in politics." I am doing my job and I have no intention of changing the basic elements of my policy. I think that Vučić understood that it is simply unacceptable untruth when anyone, even that German diplomat who is not a high representative, says that he does not want to harm the Srpska, and takes away its property".
SP/Radio Free Europe/N1
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