SIGNIFICANT AREAS REMAIN UNCLEARED OF MINES

ZVORNIK, OCTOBER 14 /SRNA/ - Significant areas in the City of Zvornik have yet to be cleared of mines, which is one of the prerequisites for safe living and the use of available natural resources, Mayor Bojan Ivanović said.

Today, Ivanović met with representatives of the Civil Protection Administrations of Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, also attended by the representatives of a specialized diving team from the Czech Republic’s police force, which is involved in operations to locate and remove mines and explosive ordnance left over from the previous war in the Zvornik area.

Ivanović said that parts of the area had been cleared of mines through various projects in the past, but that further work remained, which the local community could not carry out without support from the relevant institutions and donors.

The mayor expressed hope that continued cooperation would result in the remaining areas being cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance, the Zvornik City Administration said in a statement today.

Assistant Director of the Republika Srpska Civil Protection Administration Dragan Kos explained that the activities were being carried out as part of cooperation with the Federation Civil Protection Administration, based on a memorandum signed earlier.

"Every year, we carry out at least two joint missions, one in Republika Srpska and the other in the Federation of BiH," Kos said.

Czech police Major and diving team leader David Bajger said that hazards beneath the water’s surface were not visible and that unexploded ammunition posed a particular risk because it deteriorated over time, making timely detection and removal essential.

The Zvornik City Administration said it would continue to support such operations with the aim of creating a safer environment for living, working and developing the local community.