SAVA Basin Task Force

First International Sava Basin Commission Meeting Held in OHR Brcko

The Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe convened the first meeting of the International Sava Basin Commission at OHR Brcko today. The meeting was chaired by Director of the Working Table II of Stability Pact Ms. Beate Grzeski and hosted by the Brcko Supervisor Henry L. Clarke.

The meeting, to begin implementing the Letter of Intent signed by Ministers in Sarajevo on 29 November 2001, gathered delegations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Slovenia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the Office of the High Representative as well as representatives of many possible donors. The Letter of Intent calls on the Sava River riparian countries to co-operate in order to establish navigation, maintenance and marking of internal waterways of the Sava River and its tributaries for regulating the international regime of navigation, promoting sustainable development of the Sava Basin by regulating utilisation, protection and management of the Sava Basin water and related resources.

Two working groups were formally established: International Sava Basin Commission Treaty Working Group and International Sava Basin Commission Rehabilitation and Development Working Group.
Dr. Hasan Dervisbegovic, BiH Ambassador at Large, was unanimously selected as Co-chairman of the International Sava Basin Commission Initiative.

Today’s meeting was a start of a series of meetings that will be held in the following several months for the purpose of addressing the need to revitalise the development of the Sava River Basin. The riparian countries recognise the natural resources of the Sava River are natural assets of immense value to all riparian countries for the economic and social well-being and living standards of their peoples.

It was agreed that all future meetings of the Commission would be held in Brcko District, at the OHR Brcko.

For further information, please, contact OHR Brcko Public Affairs Officer Suzana Pejcic at 049-205-666 or 061-133-526.