Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatia relations
Encyclopedia
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatia relations are foreign relations between the Southern Europe
an countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Croatia
. Bosnia and Herzegovina has an embassy in Zagreb
, while Croatia has an embassy in Sarajevo
. The two countries share a 932 kilometres (579.1 mi) border.
and its consulates are located in four of the Bosnia and Herzegovina's five biggest cities (per the 1991 census): Sarajevo (consulate-general), Banja Luka
, Mostar
, and Tuzla
. The current Croatian ambassador is Tonči Stančić, who is also a former ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro
. Bosnia and Herzegovina has its embassy in 9 Josip Torbar Street in the affluent neighborhood Šalata
in Zagreb
, the capital of Croatia. Beside the embassy, there is only a consulate-general of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Croatia, also located in Zagreb. The current ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Vladimir Raspudić.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's and Croatia's diplomatic relations started with Croatia recognizing Bosnia and Herzegovina on January 24, 1992, which Bosnia and Herzegovina reciprocated on April 7 the same year, and both countries finally signed an agreement of mutual friendship and co-operation on July 21 the same year, during the series of Yugoslav Wars
. Together, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia have signed 111 various treaties deliminating issues ranging from establishment of diplomatic missions to resolving border disputes.
from Rijeka
convicted to nine years in prison for accepting bribes; Ante Jelavić
, a former president of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
convicted in the same country to 9.5 years for alleged abuse of position at the Bank of Herzegovina in Mostar
; Branimir Glavaš
, the leader of the Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB), a small Croatian political party, convicted to ten years in prison for war crimes; and others. The two countries are working on an agreement. According to Bosnia and Herzegovina government, fourteen people sentenced in Bosnia and Herzegovina live self-exiled as Croatian citizens. The two countries are, as of 2009, working on an agreement that would allow imprisoning such escapees for their sentences within their current country of residence without their consent (the status quo version requires consent of the escapee, which is usually not given).
, armed conflicts which followed the break-up of SFR Yugoslavia into five sovereign countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia
, Slovenia
, and FR Yugoslavia (later broke up into Serbia
, Montenegro
and Kosovo
). Croats
, Bosniaks
and Serbs
(including Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs) fought each other exchanging alliances in a series of conflicts. The majority of the wars were fought on Bosnia–Herzegovina territory, where Croats established the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia
. However, after the wars Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia retained the same border they had during SFR Yugoslavia, and through the Dayton Accords, Bosnia and Herzegovina was divided into two entities based on three constituent peoples: Republika Srpska
(for Serbs
) and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
(for Bosniaks
and Croats
). Unfortunately, according to the CIA World Factbook, 7,269 Croatian refugees still live in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the country has 131,600 internally displaced persons. Recently, Haris Silajdžić
, a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
has criticized the Dayton Accords and their results.
s aimed at providing a regional economic uplift. One of such projects is the widening of Pan-European
Corridor Vc
(E73) to freeway standards. Although extending to the Adriatic Sea
all the way from Budapest
, the capital of Hungary
, Corridor Vc (in Bosnia and Herzegovina designated as A1
) is purported to bear most importance for Bosnia and Herzegovina as its longest turnpike
(at 340 kilometres (211.3 mi)) and a national project of sorts. It passes through Croatia at two stretches: one in eastern Slavonia
near Osijek
and Đakovo (A5
) and the other at the coast near Ploče
and Metković
(A10
). Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have so far co-operated in building a bridge over Sava River
near Svilaj
, Croatia, which connects the northern end of Corridor Vc to the southern end of Croatian A5.
(BAM 302 million; USD 208 million) and neighboring Serbia
and Montenegro
(BAM 122 million; USD 84 million). In 2007, the trade between the two countries amounted to 2,517 million US dollars (BAM 3.64 billion; HRK
13.63 billion), a 32% increase from the past year.
on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder final ratification of the 1999 border agreement.
Sections of the Una River and villages at the base of Mount Plješevica
are in Croatia, while some are in Bosnia, which causes an excessive number of border crossings on a single route and impedes any serious development in the region. The Zagreb
–Bihać
–Split
railway line is still closed for major traffic due to this issue. The road Karlovac
–Plitvice Lakes
–Knin
, part of the Croatian state route D1
and European route E71
, is becoming increasingly unused because Croatia built the A1
, a separate multi-lane highway to the west, closer to the Adriatic Sea
coastline.
The border on the Una River between Hrvatska Kostajnica
on the northern, Croatian side of the river, and Bosanska Kostajnica
on the southern, Bosnian side, is also being discussed. A river island between the two towns is under Croatian control, but is claimed by Bosnia and Herzegovina. A shared border crossing point has been built and has been functioning since 2003, and is used without hindrance by either party.
of Neum
in the south makes the southernmost part of Croatia (Dubrovnik–Neretva County
) an exclave. In 1999, a border agreement between former Croatian President Franjo Tuđman and President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegović
moved the Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina border near Neum from the very coast (during SFR Yugoslavia era and confirmed by the Badinter Arbitration Committee) further into the sea waters of the Mali Ston Bay, placing two Croatian islands (Mali and Veliki Škoj, incidentally translated into English as Little and Big Island) under Bosnia-Herzegovina sovereignty. Six years later, the Croatian government called for the ratification of this agreement; however, as of 2007, it was not ratified. The two countries negotiated Neum Agreement
and Ploče Agreement defining special arrangements for Croatian transit traffic through Neum and Bosnia and Herzegovina access to the port of Ploče to compensate for non-contiguity of Croatian territory between Ploče and Dubrovnik
and lack of a seaport in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Recently Croatia has opted to build a bridge to the Pelješac peninsula
to connect the Croatian mainland with the exclave as part of the A1 motorway
Zagreb–Dubrovnik, but Bosnia and Herzegovina protested that it will hinder their access to international waters
(although Croatian territory and territorial waters
completely surround the ones of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and has suggested that the bridge must be higher than 55 metres (180 ft) to ensure free passage of all types of ships, while Croatia stated that the Neum harbor doesn't currently have a potential to house ships so big.
Southern Europe
The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...
an countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Bosnia and Herzegovina has an embassy in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, while Croatia has an embassy in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. The two countries share a 932 kilometres (579.1 mi) border.
Diplomatic relations
The Croatian embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina is located on 16 Mehmed Spaha Street in the capital SarajevoSarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
and its consulates are located in four of the Bosnia and Herzegovina's five biggest cities (per the 1991 census): Sarajevo (consulate-general), Banja Luka
Banja Luka
-History:The name "Banja Luka" was first mentioned in a document dated February 6, 1494, but Banja Luka's history dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort "Kastel" in the centre of...
, Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, and Tuzla
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
. The current Croatian ambassador is Tonči Stančić, who is also a former ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
. Bosnia and Herzegovina has its embassy in 9 Josip Torbar Street in the affluent neighborhood Šalata
Šalata
Šalata is an upper-class residential neighborhood in Zagreb, Croatia. It is administratively part of the Gornji Grad - Medveščak city district in the northern part of Zagreb and it has a population of 1,929....
in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, the capital of Croatia. Beside the embassy, there is only a consulate-general of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Croatia, also located in Zagreb. The current ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Vladimir Raspudić.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's and Croatia's diplomatic relations started with Croatia recognizing Bosnia and Herzegovina on January 24, 1992, which Bosnia and Herzegovina reciprocated on April 7 the same year, and both countries finally signed an agreement of mutual friendship and co-operation on July 21 the same year, during the series of Yugoslav Wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
. Together, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia have signed 111 various treaties deliminating issues ranging from establishment of diplomatic missions to resolving border disputes.
Extradition
As of May 2009, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia have not signed a treaty of mutual extradition of the countries' citizens, owing to many convicted people fleeing to the other country and attaining dual citizenship to be virtually immune to extradition. These people have included Ognjen Šimić, a surgeonSurgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
from Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
convicted to nine years in prison for accepting bribes; Ante Jelavić
Ante Jelavic
Ante Jelavić is a Croat politician and former Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Jelavić was born in 1963 in Podprolog, Vrgorac, Croatia, then Yugoslavia, and was elected to the post as a candidate of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Ante Jelavić served as...
, a former president of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the head of state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Overview:...
convicted in the same country to 9.5 years for alleged abuse of position at the Bank of Herzegovina in Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
; Branimir Glavaš
Branimir Glavaš
Branimir Glavaš is a controversial Croatian right-wing politician and a convicted war criminal.Glavaš came to prominence in his home city of Osijek during the Croatian war of independence, when he led its defense and became a major general in the Croatian Army...
, the leader of the Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB), a small Croatian political party, convicted to ten years in prison for war crimes; and others. The two countries are working on an agreement. According to Bosnia and Herzegovina government, fourteen people sentenced in Bosnia and Herzegovina live self-exiled as Croatian citizens. The two countries are, as of 2009, working on an agreement that would allow imprisoning such escapees for their sentences within their current country of residence without their consent (the status quo version requires consent of the escapee, which is usually not given).
Yugoslav Wars
Both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia were engaged in the early-1990s Yugoslav warsYugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
, armed conflicts which followed the break-up of SFR Yugoslavia into five sovereign countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, and FR Yugoslavia (later broke up into Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
). Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
and Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(including Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs) fought each other exchanging alliances in a series of conflicts. The majority of the wars were fought on Bosnia–Herzegovina territory, where Croats established the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia
Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia
The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia was an unrecognised entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina that existed between 1991 and 1994 during the Bosnian war. It was proclaimed on November 18, 1991 under the name Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia, and claimed to be a separate or distinct "political,...
. However, after the wars Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia retained the same border they had during SFR Yugoslavia, and through the Dayton Accords, Bosnia and Herzegovina was divided into two entities based on three constituent peoples: Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
(for Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
) and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
(for Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
and Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
). Unfortunately, according to the CIA World Factbook, 7,269 Croatian refugees still live in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the country has 131,600 internally displaced persons. Recently, Haris Silajdžić
Haris Silajdžic
Haris Silajdžić is a Bosnian politician and academic. In the 2006 elections, Silajdžić was elected as the Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for four years in the rotating presidency.He was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia.- Political career:From 1990...
, a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the head of state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Overview:...
has criticized the Dayton Accords and their results.
Economic development
As Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia each share the largest part of their border with the other (932 kilometres (579.1 mi)), they have participated in numerous joint ventureJoint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
s aimed at providing a regional economic uplift. One of such projects is the widening of Pan-European
Pan-European corridors
The ten Pan-European transport corridors were defined at the second Pan-European transport Conference in Crete, March 1994, as routes in Central and Eastern Europe that required major investment over the next ten to fifteen years. Additions were made at the third conference in Helsinki in 1997...
Corridor Vc
Corridor Vc
The European route E 73 is a Class-A north-south European route that connects the central part of the continent, specifically Hungary and eastern Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Adriatic Sea in the area of the port of Ploče. This route is also designated as the Pan-European Corridor...
(E73) to freeway standards. Although extending to the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
all the way from Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, the capital of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Corridor Vc (in Bosnia and Herzegovina designated as A1
A1 (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
thumb|A1's projected routeThe A1 motorway is a motorway in Bosnia and Herzegovina that is part of the Corridor Vc and, together with two Croatian motorways and the Hungarian M6, will provide a modern and fast road connection from Budapest to Ploče, an important seaport on the Adriatic Sea.The...
) is purported to bear most importance for Bosnia and Herzegovina as its longest turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
(at 340 kilometres (211.3 mi)) and a national project of sorts. It passes through Croatia at two stretches: one in eastern Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
near Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
and Đakovo (A5
A5 (Croatia)
The A5 motorway is a motorway in Croatia spanning . It connects Osijek, the largest city in Slavonia region, to the Croatian motorway network at the Sredanci interchange of the A3 motorway. The A5 represents a significant north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of the...
) and the other at the coast near Ploče
Ploce
Ploče is a town and a notable seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.The total population of Ploče is 10,102 , in the following settlements:* Baćina, population 564* Banja, population 176* Komin, population 1,222...
and Metković
Metkovic
Metković is a city in the Dubrovnik-Neretva county of Croatia, located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the river Neretva and on the border with Herzegovina.-Demographics:...
(A10
A10 (Croatia)
The A10 motorway is a planned motorway, expected to be built in southern Croatia between the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, extending from the Bosnia and Herzegovina A1 motorway towards the Croatian A1 motorway Metković interchange. The motorway is planned to include the Metković border...
). Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have so far co-operated in building a bridge over Sava River
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
near Svilaj
Svilaj
Svilaj is a settlement in the Croatian municipality of Oprisavci . According to the 2001 census, the settlement has 290 inhabitants. Svilaj's importance lies in the planned border checkpoint and a bridge over the nearby Sava River, which will bear the internationally important freeway Pan-European...
, Croatia, which connects the northern end of Corridor Vc to the southern end of Croatian A5.
Trade
Exports to Bosnia and Herzegovina amount to 14.4% of Croatia's total, while as of 2007, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the fifth largest trade partner of Croatia. This makes Croatia both the largest importer and exporter of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Bosnia and Herzegovina is the second largest buyer of Croatian goods. With 343 million convertible marks (USD 237 million) of invested foreign capital, Croatia is the largest investor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, topping nearby SloveniaSlovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
(BAM 302 million; USD 208 million) and neighboring Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
(BAM 122 million; USD 84 million). In 2007, the trade between the two countries amounted to 2,517 million US dollars (BAM 3.64 billion; HRK
Croatian kuna
The kuna is the currency of Croatia since 1994 . It is subdivided into 100 lipa. The kuna is issued by the Croatian National Bank and the coins are minted by the Croatian Monetary Institute....
13.63 billion), a 32% increase from the past year.
Disputes
Discussions continue with CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder final ratification of the 1999 border agreement.
Sections of the Una River and villages at the base of Mount Plješevica
Plješevica
Plješivica or Plješevica is a mountain in Croatia and on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, part of the Dinaric Alps. It stretches in the direction north–south, and it extends from the mountain pass that separates it from Mala Kapela, along the Krbava field to the west and the Una River...
are in Croatia, while some are in Bosnia, which causes an excessive number of border crossings on a single route and impedes any serious development in the region. The Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
–Bihać
Bihac
Bihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
–Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
railway line is still closed for major traffic due to this issue. The road Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
–Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina...
–Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
, part of the Croatian state route D1
D1 (Croatia)
The state road D1 is a national highway in Croatia. It is a one-lane highway that spans from Macelj border crossing in the north via Krapina, Zagreb, Karlovac, Slunj, Gračac, Knin, Sinj, ending in Split...
and European route E71
European route E71
European route E 71 is a north-south Class-A intermediate European road route. It begins in Košice, Slovakia, passes through Budapest in Hungary, Zagreb in Croatia and Bihać in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ends at Split in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea coast. The total length of the route is...
, is becoming increasingly unused because Croatia built the A1
A1 (Croatia)
The A1 motorway is the longest motorway in Croatia spanning . As it connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to Split, the second largest city in the country and the largest city in Dalmatia, the motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the...
, a separate multi-lane highway to the west, closer to the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
coastline.
The border on the Una River between Hrvatska Kostajnica
Hrvatska Kostajnica
Hrvatska Kostajnica, often just Kostajnica, is a small town in central Croatia. It is located on the Una river in the Sisak-Moslavina county, south of Petrinja and Sisak and across the river from Bosanska Kostajnica in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
on the northern, Croatian side of the river, and Bosanska Kostajnica
Bosanska Kostajnica
Kostajnica, also known as Bosanska Kostajnica , is a town and municipality in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town and municipality are situated in the north-western part of the Republika Srpska entity and northern part of the Bosanska Krajina region. The municipality was created from part of...
on the southern, Bosnian side, is also being discussed. A river island between the two towns is under Croatian control, but is claimed by Bosnia and Herzegovina. A shared border crossing point has been built and has been functioning since 2003, and is used without hindrance by either party.
Neum
The Herzegovinian municipalityMunicipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina
In Bosnia and Herzegovina the smallest unit is the municipality or Opština. Prior to the war there were 109 municipalities in Bosnia. 10 of these were part of the Sarajevo area. After the war the number of municipalities increased to 142: 79 municipalities in the Federation of Bosnia and...
of Neum
Neum
Neum is the only coastal town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It comprises of coastline, the country's only access to the Adriatic Sea. As of 2009, municipal population was of 4,605 and the one of Neum main town was of 4,268 .-Features:Neum has steep hills, sandy beaches, and several large tourist...
in the south makes the southernmost part of Croatia (Dubrovnik–Neretva County
Dubrovnik-Neretva County
The Dubrovnik–Neretva County is the southernmost Croatian county located in south Dalmatia. The county seat is Dubrovnik and other large towns are Korčula, Metković, Opuzen and Ploče...
) an exclave. In 1999, a border agreement between former Croatian President Franjo Tuđman and President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegović
Alija Izetbegovic
Alija Izetbegović was a Bosniak activist, lawyer, author, philosopher and politician, who, in 1990, became the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He served in this role until 1996, when he became a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, serving until 2000...
moved the Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina border near Neum from the very coast (during SFR Yugoslavia era and confirmed by the Badinter Arbitration Committee) further into the sea waters of the Mali Ston Bay, placing two Croatian islands (Mali and Veliki Škoj, incidentally translated into English as Little and Big Island) under Bosnia-Herzegovina sovereignty. Six years later, the Croatian government called for the ratification of this agreement; however, as of 2007, it was not ratified. The two countries negotiated Neum Agreement
Neum Agreement
The Neum Agreement is a treaty between the Republic of Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina granting free passage of transit traffic between the territory of Dubrovnik-Neretva County around the city of Dubrovnik and forming a pene-exclave of Croatia and the remaining Croatian...
and Ploče Agreement defining special arrangements for Croatian transit traffic through Neum and Bosnia and Herzegovina access to the port of Ploče to compensate for non-contiguity of Croatian territory between Ploče and Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
and lack of a seaport in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Recently Croatia has opted to build a bridge to the Pelješac peninsula
Pelješac bridge
The Pelješac Bridge is a bridge intended to connect the Croatian peninsula of Pelješac with the Croatian mainland, spanning the Adriatic Sea, which separates the two near the Bay of Mali Ston and the Neretva Channel....
to connect the Croatian mainland with the exclave as part of the A1 motorway
A1 (Croatia)
The A1 motorway is the longest motorway in Croatia spanning . As it connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to Split, the second largest city in the country and the largest city in Dalmatia, the motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the...
Zagreb–Dubrovnik, but Bosnia and Herzegovina protested that it will hinder their access to international waters
International waters
The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems , and wetlands.Oceans,...
(although Croatian territory and territorial waters
Territorial waters
Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...
completely surround the ones of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and has suggested that the bridge must be higher than 55 metres (180 ft) to ensure free passage of all types of ships, while Croatia stated that the Neum harbor doesn't currently have a potential to house ships so big.
See also
- Foreign relations of Bosnia and HerzegovinaForeign relations of Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe implementation of the Dayton Accords of 1995 has focused the efforts of policymakers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the international community, on regional stabilization in the countries-successors of the former Yugoslavia...
- Foreign relations of CroatiaForeign relations of CroatiaThe following page shows the foreign relations of Croatia from past history, current events, international disputes and foreign support.-History:...
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and HerzegovinaMinistry of Foreign Affairs (Bosnia and Herzegovina)The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Bosnian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.- External links :...
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of CroatiaMinistry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia)The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia is the ministry in the Government of Croatia which is in charge of foreign relations and admission into the European Union.-Foreign affairs ministers:...
External links
- Croatian Embassy in Sarajevo: English (currently down), Croatian
- Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations on bilateral relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its embassy in Zagreb