Minister Košarac Organized a Video Conference with Members of the Coordination Body for Trgovska gora site

The Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, Staša Košarac, organized today a video conference with the members of the Coordination Body for the disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel at the Trgovska Gora site.

The session of the Coordination Body followed after the Decision on appointing an Expert team to monitor the situation and activities related to this issue was removed from the Agenda of the 10th session of the BiH Council of Ministers, upon the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Bisera Turković.

Members of the Coordination Body, Minister Košarac, Minister of Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology of the Republika Srpska Srebrenka Golić, Minister of Environment and Tourism Edita Đapo and Director of the Regulatory Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety of BiH Marinko Zeljko agree in assessment that Minister Bisera Turković's procedure is unacceptable, and based on unsubstantiated and inaccurate information.

The Coordination Body reminds the public in BiH that the Working Group for monitoring the situation and activities related to the possible construction of a radioactive waste landfill at the Trgovska gora site, adopted by the BiH Council of Ministers at its session on March 21, 2016, to which the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Bisera Turković refers in public, ceased to exist after the Council of Ministers of BiH at its session on May 21, 2020 passed a Decision on the appointment of members of the Coordination Body for disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel at Trgovska gora. The Decision was published in the Official Gazette of BiH (No. 33/20) on June 12, 2020.

"Minister Turković did not have adequate arguments to suspend the process of appointing an Expert team. Through her activities, she brings into the danger zone the citizens of the whole of BiH, especially those who live in the municipalities in the Una River Basin. I would stress that Croatia has already started preparing a feasibility study on Trgovska gora site and that it is necessary for experts from BiH to work in parallel with their experts" said Minister Košarac at today's video conference.

Analyzing the claims of Minister Bisera Turković regarding the financing of an Expert team, the members of the Coordination Body noted that the Decision on appointing an Expert team, among other things, defines that the funds for the work of this team will be determined by a special act adopted by the BiH Council of Ministers.

"It is not about the enormous fund amounts, but funds that will be allocated in accordance with the Law on salaries and compensations in BiH Institutions and a Special act of the BiH Council of Ministers," stressed Minister Košarac.

At today’s video conference the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Bisera Turković was requested to submit, to the Council of Ministers of BiH, information on the activities she has undertaken in relation to solving the problem of building of a radioactive waste disposal  and spent nuclear fuel at Trgovska gora site, referring to the Conclusion of the BiH Presidency at the session, dated March 22, 2019, related to this problems, as well as documents and  declarations of other relevant bodies.  

The members of the Coordination Body gave their support to Minister Košarac in his efforts to redelegate the Decision on appointing an Expert team to monitor the situation and activities related to the disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel at the Trgovska gora site at the next session of the BiH Council of Ministers.

Minister Košarac informed the members of the Coordination Body that he will send to the BiH Council of Ministers the Decision on appointing the Legal team for drafting the strategy for legal protection of BiH interests related to radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel at Trgovska gora site.