The statement on state property was signed by members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović and Željko Komšić, as well as the presidents of the SDA, SDP, NiP, Naša stranka, the People's European Alliance, and the Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The signed statement contained nine points, with the most significant in this context being the reminder of the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH that the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the successor to the state property of the Socialist Republic of BiH.
"In the description of state property provided by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is clearly stated that state property does not only refer to a set of real estate that serves public authorities to carry out their competencies. State property also includes public goods (seawater, seabed, river water, riverbeds, lakes, mountains, and other natural resources, public and transport networks, transport infrastructure), which primarily serve all people in the state," the statement reads.
They further emphasized that the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its state property cannot and must not be the subject of any political bargaining.
"Through a state property law, efficient and transparent management and disposal of the state property of Bosnia and Herzegovina should be ensured, which will serve to achieve a higher quality of life for the population and protect the interests of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as ensure responsible disposal, care, and enhancement of natural resources, cultural and historical heritage, and other strategic interests of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina," was written in the fourth point of the statement.
Currently, intensive work is underway to resolve the issue of state property. The so-called Quint countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy—are actively involved in the process.
According to the latest information from the Klix.ba portal, although there are well-intentioned factors involved in the discussions, there are also those who would force the situation and do not view it through the same lens as pro-Bosnian political options.
The largest party of the ruling coalition, SDP, and the largest opposition party, SDA, have aligned their positions and stated that the state is the sole owner of state property and that they do not accept "flexible solutions." An interesting statement was made by HDZ president Dragan Čović, who believes he has aligned positions with SDP and SDA on the issue of state property.
"I think we have aligned positions with SDA and SDP on this, to protect the interests of the state while enabling the functioning of all levels of government. I should not speculate about documents someone has prepared. My request was that the work on the Southern Gas Interconnector and state property be done simultaneously, as it is clear that this problem is an obstacle to investments throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina," said Čović.
The Minister of Energy, Mining, and Industry of the Federation of BiH, Vedran Lakić, warned that without resolving the issue of state property, there will be no construction of the Southern Interconnector.
We recall that High Representative Christian Schmidt formed an Expert Group on State Property. In an interview with Klix.ba in February 2024, Schmidt said that materials would be submitted to the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but this has not happened.
Although there is still insufficient public information about possible forms of resolving state property, it seems that this issue is reaching a kind of culmination, and the lack of transparency, while not necessarily an ominous sign, requires additional caution from all pro-state actors.