Bosnia and Herzegovina's Council of Ministers (CoM) unanimously adopted the state energy strategy on Wednesday, ensuring in this way the investments worth several billions of Euros.

CoM Chairman, Denis Zvizdic, told a press conference following the ministers’ session that this decision has opened a possibility of applying for the European Union's pre-accession IPA funds in the energy sector.

“We have brought more than one billion and 200 millions of Euros by adopting the strategies at Bosnia and Herzegovina level,” Zvizdic said.

Mirko Sarovic, Bosnia's Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, told the media that the country's energy strategy is one of the most important documents and that the energy sector was awaiting it.

According to Sarovic, the institutions of various levels of authorities as well as the foreign consultants have worked on this document and it was created on the grounds of the Bosnia's two entities’ strategies that were adopted earlier.

“The strategy was prepared for the period 2018-2035 and the entity strategies were conceptualized in a similar way,” Sarovic added.

The ministers also discussed the issue of migrants arriving in the country. Chairman Zvizdic said the authorities are currently trying to find accommodation for the migrants.

“12,000 migrants entered Bosnia and Herzegovina since the beginning of the year. 10,000 migrants submitted the asylum requests. (…) A million and a half of Euros will be earmarked for renovation of the Usivak barracks, where 450-500 migrants will be accommodated. 200 migrants are staying in the Sedra hotel, mostly those of vulnerable categories. We will renovate the dormitory in Bihac for 700 persons as well as the Agrokomerc facilities,” said Zvizdic.

The CoM chairman urged the neighbouring Croatia and Serbia during the press conference to sign the agreement on borders with Bosnia.

“Every talk on the change of borders on the grounds of ethnic criteria is very detrimental. The past experience proves that. So, it is contrary to the international standards and the efforts to improve the relations in the region,” Zvizdic said asked to comment the recent discussions on border redrawing in the Balkans.

“This is my message: Instead of changing the borders, let's sign the agreements on borders,” he added.