Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić spoke this morning with the Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mirko Šarović and the Deputy Minister of Economy of Macedonia Hristijan Delev about making a joint position by the three states with regards to the blockade of the road and freight traffic that is being conducted for days by the Croatian authorities at the border crossing Batrovci – Bajakovo.

Ljajić, Šarović and Delev agreed that it is necessary for Croatia to urgently lift the blockade completely at the border crossing Batrovci – Bajakovo, because a large part of the freight traffic of Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and not only Serbia is carried over that transit corridor.

During the talks, it was estimated that the damage caused by the blockade in all three countries amounts to millions of euros and that further implementation of this discriminatory measure by the Croatian side could endanger the economy of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia, which are Croatia’s leading foreign trade partners.

If the blockade is not lifted, the three countries will request an emergency session of the CEFTA Joint Committee, in order to demand a unique approach and measures against Croatia from all other CEFTA members.
Rasim Ljajić also met this morning with the Ambassador of Turkey Mehmet Kemal Bozay, who expressed concern over the blockade conducted by Croatia at the border crossing Batrovci – Bajakovo, as a large number of Turkish trucks are stuck at the long line of trucks stretching 20 km at that border crossing.

The blockade is causing great damage to Turkey’s economy, said Bozay, adding that he expects for traffic to be normalized as soon as possible.