Croatia ready to provide support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the demining process

Dubravka Bošnjak, Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Darijana Filipović, Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, together with their associates, met today in Mostar with Davor Božinović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of the Croatia, to discuss the possibility of Croatian support for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the demining process.

Mine-suspected areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina remain, three decades after the end of the war, a significant security, humanitarian, and development challenge for the country. At the same time, Croatia successfully completed its demining process in February this year in accordance with the Ottawa Treaty, thereby becoming a country free from mine danger.

Minister Bošnjak emphasized that demining is прежде всего a matter of security, but also a prerequisite for the development of local communities, agriculture, tourism, and the economy as a whole.

“Croatia has undergone a long and demanding demining process, and that is precisely why Croatia’s experience, expert capacities, and institutional models can be extremely valuable for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Every square meter cleared of mine danger means greater security and more room for development,” said Minister Bošnjak.

Minister Božinović stressed that Croatia understands the seriousness of the problem Bosnia and Herzegovina faces and expressed readiness to provide expert and technical assistance.

“The Republic of Croatia is ready to share its knowledge, experience, and capacities. Demining is a moral obligation toward the victims and their families,” said Minister Božinović.

He recalled that Croatia, after nearly three decades of a demanding process, successfully completed demining in accordance with the Ottawa Convention, during which nearly 107,000 mines and explosive devices and 470,000 unexploded ordnance items were removed.

Croatia’s support for demining in Bosnia and Herzegovina would include the exchange of experience and expert knowledge, including the possible engagement of Croatian demining capacities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, technical assistance, institutional cooperation, and joint projects. Such cooperation could significantly contribute to accelerating the removal of mine threats, strengthening public safety, and creating conditions for faster development in mine-suspected areas.

“The readiness of Croatia to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in the demining process once again confirms the exceptional friendly relations between our two countries, as well as the importance of concrete cooperation on issues that directly affect people’s safety. Croatia’s experience can be invaluable in accelerating this process and creating safer living and development conditions for everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Representative Filipović.

According to the latest available data, mine-suspected areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina cover around 774 square kilometers, representing approximately 1.5 percent of the country’s total territory.

The scale of this problem is further reflected in humanitarian indicators. Since the end of the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina has recorded a total of 1,782 mine victims, of whom 625 were killed. At the same time, it is estimated that around 93,000 residents in 110 municipalities still live in the immediate vicinity of mine-suspected areas and are directly exposed to risk.

The demining process is further complicated by limited domestic financial resources and the gradual reduction of international donor support, partly due to changing global security circumstances.

In this context, the Council of Ministers of BiH, at the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH, adopted a decision during 2024 approving multi-year capital investment for the period from 2025 to 2027 in the amount of two million convertible marks. This marked the first time that more substantial funds for demining projects were secured directly from the state budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH initiated the procedure for adopting a new mine action law, which предусматривает that at least 0.2 percent of the annual budgets of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation of BiH, and the Republika Srpska entity be allocated for demining.

Cooperation with Croatia, which has successfully completed its own demining process, represents an important opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina to accelerate the removal of mine threats and build a safer future for all its citizens.

“Our key goal remains a mine-free Bosnia and Herzegovina. Demining is one of the Ministry’s priorities, and we will continue investing maximum efforts to accelerate the removal of the last remaining mine threats in our country. Demining in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a complex and financially very demanding process that depends on a large number of stakeholders and which Bosnia and Herzegovina currently cannot implement without donor assistance,” said Minister Bošnjak.