Although presidents and prime ministers of neighboring countries will be attending the opening of the 21st International Economic Fair in Mostar, the Bosniak and the Serb members of Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency will miss the event.

The Mostar International Economic Fair is an annual event aimed to boost regional economic cooperation, and the opening ceremony is taking place on Tuesday.  

Bosniak Bakir Izetbegovic did not explain his planned absence while the Serb member, Mladen Ivanic, will be out of country.  

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will be the one to officially open it this year in the presence of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plankovic, Montenegrin President, Filip Vujanovic, as well as Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.  

Bosnia’s Presidency is the main sponsor of the event, but it’s only member attending will be the Croat representative, Dragan Covic.   Bosnia’s Presidency consists of three members – a Bosniak, a Serb and a Croat, who rotate every eight month on the post of the chairman. Mladen Ivanic – the then chairman – gave a speech at the opening ceremony last year.  

The current chairman is Bakir Izetbegovic but a speech by his was never planned.  

Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik also came to Mostar Monday, to meet with Vucic.

According to sociology professor Slavo Kukic, instead of Bosnia’s Presidency, foreign political leaders will this year meet with the political establishment of the Covic’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Union of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.