KOŠARAC: I WILL ASK KRIŠTO TO SCHEDULE URGENT MEETING WITH VON DER LEYEN ABOUT CARRIERS ISSUE

EAST SARAJEVO, APRIL 22 /SRNA/ - The Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac told SRNA that he will request at today's session of the Council of Ministers, that the Chairperson Borjana Krišto schedule an urgent meeting with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the Srpska and FBiH carriers-related issue, who are discriminated in terms of their permitted stay in the EU.

"I will also ask for information on the implementation of the conclusions reached at the Council of Ministers' session held in June last year, when we tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Security to start negotiations with the EU with the aim of exempting BiH drivers from the restriction of staying in the EU," emphasized Košarac. He has reiterated that institutions must serve the economy! "We don't need the populist moves of certain posers, who only care about taking photos with local carriers, without seriously understanding their problems and fully engaging in solving them. This does not benefit anyone, least of all the hard-working people who demand the right to work and live from their work," emphasized Košarac. It is evident, he told SRNA, that some Troika representatives do not want to seriously and studiously devote themselves to this issue, because they are populists and do not want to hold grudges and confront the EU. "This is unacceptable. The interest of local entrepreneurs must be above the EU, which often treats BiH hypocritically. It is clear that the EU is doing everything that suits it, completely ignoring the interest and well-being of Srpska and FBiH entrepreneurs. They constantly tell us that we should meet European standards, but they keep quiet when they need to show sensitivity and understanding towards the local economic sector. They are not interested in our interests!," said Minister Košarac. He assessed that such an indolent attitude of the EU Delegation is inadmissible and cannot be tolerated. "Probably, the EU Delegation would be most satisfied if it provided jobs to EU carriers so that they could transport our goods," said Košarac. He said that the responsibility lies with the EU. "They have to understand that we want a partnership and fair relations, not subservience and servitude to their interests. Otherwise, I am ready to call on local carriers to protest together outside the EU Delegation to BiH," said Košarac. Unfortunately, he added, this is not the first time that the EU, as well as some politicians from FBiH, ignore the interest of the local real sector. "They did not show understanding even when we proposed protective measures for local agricultural products. Then they took into account the interests of the EU, instead of the needs and protection of the economic sector of Srpska and FBiH. What shocked me further was the information that the representatives of the diplomatic-consular network of BiH completely ignored the problems of the carriers, that they do not even answer their phones when they are faced with difficulties in the EU member states. "It is an unacceptable attitude and I really expect an urgent and adequate reaction from the line minister Elmedin Konaković," emphasized Košarac. He reiterated his willingness to hold a meeting with local carriers this week in order to discuss all the difficulties they are facing, and problems if they possibly concern the competence of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers.