Transport Minister Sinisa Hajdas Doncic said on Monday that linking Croatia's south with the rest of the country was primarily an issue of Croatia as a member of the European Union and not of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that Croatia pushed for a bridge if it could get more than 50 per cent of the funds for its construction from the EU.
He said on Croatian Television the decision on how to best connect Croatian territory would be made by Croatia in partnership with EU member countries.
Hajdas Doncic was asked to comment on Bosnian Minister Damir Hadzic's statement earlier in the day that the Peljesac bridge would not be built, that it was not cost-efficient and that a road was the best option.
Hajdas Doncic said the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure would get a preliminary feasibility study in September, from consultants chosen together by Croatia and the EU, on the best way to connect the south with the rest of the country.
"We are talking about European corridors, a potential Adriatic-Ionian highway by 2030 and some short term options, which include connecting Croatia's south, which means the construction of a bridge or a corridor," he said, adding that the Croatian government was inclined towards a bridge if Croatia could get at least 50 per cent of the construction funds in grants.
Hajdas Doncic would not say if it was correct that the government had scrapped the ratification of a 1999 border agreement with Bosnia.
