FUNDS PLANNED FOR THE WESTERN BALKANS BEING REDIRECTED TO UKRAINE AND MOLDOVA

SARAJEVO, JULY 21 /SRNA/ – Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac stated that it is evident that the EU, due to shortcomings in its financial framework, is consciously concealing its true intentions in order to redirect part of the funds planned for the Western Balkans towards supporting Ukraine and Moldova.

"Therefore, they are approaching BiH very tendentiously, triumphantly emphasizing that the funds intended for BiH from the Growth Plan will be reduced by EUR 108.5 million /10%/ due to delays in submitting the final version of the Reform Agenda," Košarac pointed out.

He emphasized that certain Western Balkan countries, although they adopted the Growth Plan long ago, only recently received the first tranche from the EU, and even that was a reduced amount compared to what was initially planned, which speaks volumes about the farce and hypocrisy of the Union.

Referring to the very way the Growth Plan was defined, Košarac assessed that even in its initial phase it was more than clear that the funds would be reduced relative to the cumulative amount planned for all activities not implemented within the given period.

"This does not at all negate the fact that BiH is late in the entire process due to blockages that have arisen in the Federation of BiH. The only reason we lost more than EUR 100 million from the Growth Plan is the blockages in the Federation and the inability of the `Troika` to reach an agreement with the cantons where the SDA is in power," Košarac stated on Instagram.

This way, he added, the Federation of BiH is hindering the European path of Republika Srpska and BiH.

"Therefore, it is of key importance that processes in the Federation are defined and unblocked so that we can continue with the determination of the Reform Agenda, and, therefore, the implementation of obligations from the Growth Plan," Košarac emphasized.

The European Commission has informed the authorities that the allocations planned for BiH within the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans have been reduced by ten percent, from EUR 1.085 billion to 976.6 million, the EU Delegation to BiH announced earlier.