The state ministers did not discuss directly the transfer of migrants from Sarajevo to the refugee centre Salakovac at its last session, they discussed measures but certain matters were not to be discussed by the Council of Ministers (CoM), said Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Mirko Sarovic.

Sarovic commented for N1 the last week's several-hour long crisis when a convoy carrying nearly 300 migrants was prevented from entering the territory of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC), in the south of the country.

“The Council of Ministers didn't discuss directly the transfer, we spoke about measures, everything else falls under the competence of institutions. The issue of migrants is a sole responsibility of the Security Ministry, certain matters shouldn't have been a subject of the Council of Ministers’ session, that matter doesn't concern only the Council of Ministers,” added Sarovic.

The police stopped the convoy for a few hours at the order of HNC Police Commissioner Ilija Lasic, which triggered reactions of the state-level officials, including the one of Security Minister Dragan Mektic, who ordered the transfer in the first place and who accused Lasic of committing a coup. The police commissioner later explained he ordered the temporary halt to prevent unrests and secure a safe arrival of migrants in the refugee centre.

Commenting on the issue of migrants in general, Sarovic said that Bosnia became a part of the migrants’ route, which led the institutions to take adequate measures.

“The Council of Ministers took measures, it didn't pass direct decisions. Specific activities fall under the competence of the Security Ministry and the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, as well as the Foreigners’ Affairs Service. Some clear and, I would add, credible documents that entitle the competent agencies with the right to accommodate a certain number of migrants were passed,” said Sarovic.