LONG-TERM LEASE AGREEMENT FOR HOSPITALITY FACILITIES SIGNED

BANJA LUKA, JULY 6 /SRNA/ - An agreement on a strategic partnership and a long-term lease of hospitality facilities in the "Sutjeska" National Park, worth approximately 70 million KM, was signed today in Banja Luka.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Spatial Planning, Construction, and Ecology of Republika Srpska, Bojan Vipotnik; the Acting Director of the "Sutjeska" National Park, Aleksandar Golijanin; and the authorized representative of the company "Agens" from Teslić, Slaviša Đurić.

Vipotnik stated that investments amounting to around 70 million KM will take place over the next four years, and the creation of about 150 new jobs is planned, alongside retaining the existing 35 employees from the National Park’s hospitality and tourism sector.

He assessed that the signing of this agreement represents a highly important moment and a significant date for the "Sutjeska" National Park, as well as for the development of tourism in Republika Srpska.

"By signing this agreement, we are improving numerous segments primarily related to the National Park, aiming to make its overall tourism and hospitality potential more attractive and accessible to both domestic and foreign tourists, while ensuring maximum protection and promotion of its historical and natural values," Vipotnik told reporters.

He emphasized that he also expects stronger development for the local community of Foča.

"With this project, the Government of Republika Srpska shows that it supports, and will continue to support, projects that connect environmental protection with sustainable economic development. We believe that in this way, we are creating new value for the citizens of Republika Srpska and leaving a high-quality legacy for future generations," Vipotnik added.

He noted that this agreement is particularly significant because the "Sutjeska" National Park has faced serious difficulties in its functioning and business operations over the past few decades.

"With this, we are putting an end to that period and enabling the National Park's management to fully dedicate itself to its primary role—the preservation and enhancement of historical and natural values, as well as their promotion," concluded Vipotnik.

Stabilizing the National Park

Acting Director of the "Sutjeska" National Park, Aleksandar Golijanin, said that eight or nine months ago, he was tasked by Prime Minister Savo Minić with preparing a recovery plan aimed at bringing the National Park into a state where it could function normally.

"We inherited very serious obligations and numerous problems. Financial liabilities were vast, and the employee structure was inadequate. Our goal was to stabilize the institution, while striving to preserve every job and find a solution for every employee," Golijanin stated.

He noted that the agreement signed today is a part of that plan, which involves restructuring the hospitality and tourism sector of the "Sutjeska" National Park as it transitions under the investor's jurisdiction.

Golijanin pointed out that some of the facilities are completely devastated, others are in a very poor and non-functional state, while only a small number were operational—but even those required urgent investment and reconstruction.

"The company behind this project and the capital at its disposal are a guarantee that the National Park’s hospitality capacities will be elevated to the highest possible level in a relatively short period," Golijanin believes.

He added that he simultaneously expects the rehabilitation of macadam roads within the National Park, which is of exceptional importance for its functioning, as well as the continued construction of the road between Foča and Tjentište, creating conditions for the arrival of even more tourists.

"Our primary obligation remains to focus on environmental protection and the natural values at our disposal, the preservation of the Sutjeska Memorial Complex—which is largely why the National Park was founded in the first place—as well as the management of forest resources through sanitary logging and the improvement of hunting and fishing as important developmental potentials of the Park," Golijanin said.

He mentioned that the renovation of the restaurant located below the main highway in the National Park, as well as the resurfacing of macadam roads, began about ten days ago.

A Boost for the Region

The Mayor of Foča, Milan Vukadinović, noted that the "Sutjeska" National Park has grappled with numerous challenges and problems for years, assessing that it has finally reached a stabilization phase that opens up space for new opportunities and investments in this pearl of Republika Srpska.

"Resolving road communications through the investments presented today and outlined in the agreement will certainly elevate Republika Srpska's tourism to a significantly higher level, especially in an area I often call the most serious tourist route in the region: from western Serbia, across Zlatibor, Tara, and Andrićgrad, then the 'Sutjeska' National Park, all the way to the south of Republika Srpska, Trebinje, northern Montenegro, and the Adriatic coast," Vukadinović assessed.

According to him, one of the greatest challenges for the "Sutjeska" National Park has been its accommodation capacity and hospitality offerings, alongside numerous other issues faced by the management and administration.

"I hope that much better and more favorable days are coming. I believe that this project will not only benefit the tourism and economy of the city of Foča, but also the economy of this entire part of Republika Srpska, the surrounding municipalities and cities, and Republika Srpska itself, which is finally investing in its pearl that had been neglected for years," Vukadinović emphasized.

He thanked all the institutions of Republika Srpska and the Prime Minister for their understanding and support for this region of Republika Srpska.