Why is Bosnia unhappy with Croatia’s Peljesac bridge?

Croatia is celebrating the opening of a bridge in Peljesac, linking its southern-most region to the rest of the country. In the past this was only possible by ferry, or by road through Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The European Union contributed about 85%of the money for the bridge which was built by China's state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation. Admir Mulaosmanovic from the International University of Sarajevo explains.
#PelješacBridge #Croatia #Bosnia'
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[@ag2smal]

Complete fake arguments. Every single word from this journalist is a lie. 1) Bosnian city of Neum can't be a cargo harbor as all of its coast is full of apartments, villas and hotels. Not a single meter is free for harbor; 2) Other side of the bay is nature protected area; 3) If Bosnian government wants to take coast of Neum, they better call successors of East India Company for both, money and army. Because, no one in Neum will value his house under €1M, and that is only for indemnity if government manages to conquer Neum by tanks. And, trust me, no peaceful coast takeover is possible there; 4) Bosnia already got duty free access to the port of Ploce in Croatia way back in '90s, so it can make its cargo transport without borders check; 5) Bridge "issue" is a fake argument from politicians from capital city (Sarajevo) usually before some elections, and journalists without good story (and morale, just like politicians) usually can't wait for clickbait articles of racial-social-religious-nationalist subject. 6) Bosnian govt was consulted 20 yrs ago on bridge subject, and had no opposal. Later one politician asked for bridge to be 150 meter high (500ft) with a center bascule part. His argument was just as this reporters, heavy cargo and cruiser port with ships high up to 150m (as those ships even exist now, or ever will). (Now read 1,2,3 above). Nonsense that no one took, not even Bosnian citizens. 7) EU does not take these questions for granted. EU bureaucracy is quite serious about that kind of questions. So, whoever claims that EU representatives didn't come to evaluate relationships and listen to arguments, tells a lie.

[@fiditenemini2452]

just a little correction: neum is not in bosnia but in herzegovina.

[@ag2smal]

@@fiditenemini2452 - Yes. I just wrote it like that for shortening purpose.

[@fapmashina1]

Amazing, so well argumented and detailed response that crushed all this nonsense from this report! Congratulations! 👏👏👏

[@robertkolenko151]

Port in Neum? Is that a joke? 😂😂😂 maybe a pen for goats and sheep

[@northernstar4811]

The sea side town of Neum is a tourist town. If you look at photo`s of the town it is easy to see that there is no room for a port. In any case the sea bed next to Neum is too shallow for big container ships.

[@edkuca7385]

Exactly.

[@Star207]

The population of Neum is 99.9% Croatian they will never allow the building of a port in the protected areas of the Bay of Ston

[@apollonmagg4603]

As a greek knowing that Avax helped during the construction of tbe bridge i am totally with the Croats. We have common values and Croatia has achieved a lot during the last decade. Turks of TRT can go support their muslim brothers. Nothing against them. Its just turkish propaganda. Guys stop watching trt

[@slavenrasic2173]

TRT is my favourite comedy show, no way Im gonna stop watching them.. My personal favourite are the indian/pakistani comments on community posts

[@realtalk675]

❤️

[@mashinajoe]

Bahahahahaha

[@apollonmagg4603]

@@mashinajoe lete ptice lete avioni

[@Star207]

Bosnia will never build a port in Neum and has no right to access International waters thru Croatian territorial waters

[@petarivcec8413]

Croatia + 1, Ottoman Empire 0

[@DataLog]

Well, it's actually 1:1. Bosnia wouldn't even have their sea exit if Dubrovnik didn't give it to Ottoman Empire.

[@qepaxhiu]

I am so happy for this new bridge and hope it will be a lesson for bh

[@tonydalmatinac4695]

Thanks for this comment 👍🇭🇷❤️

[@frajer9555]

Why are you so happy???

[@Gabrielm624]

The idea that Bosnia will build a port in Neum is a joke, it will never happen. Bosnia has access to use the port of Ploče which has much better infrastructure than would ever be possible to have in Neum, there wouldn’t even be a way to get the freight from Neum to the rest of Bosnian territory without going through Croatia. All this could have been avoided if a) BiH allowed Croatia to build a highway through the Neum corridor which would have been a cheaper and better option for all or b) if the EU relaxed their border rules and allowed cars & freight to be travel through Neum without checks this could be done with surveillance technology solutions to ensure no one is entering/exiting either BiH or HR illegally. For what it’s worth, I’m not a nationalist & have both croat and Bosnian heritage and it must be said everyone in Neum is Croatian and does not want to be a part of BiH. They are only a part of BiH in the first place because of a stupid technicality that should’ve been solved in the 90s after the Bosnian & Croatian wars. If anything it would’ve made much more sense to give Neum to Croatia & for Bosnia to get a small strip of coastline south of Konavle in between the Croatian & Montenegrin border, it could’ve been part of RS and would’ve served as a buffer between Croatia and what was ‘Serbia + Montenegro’ at the time & given Bosnia sea access in an area where most residents identify as Serb rather than Montenegrin anyway but that’s an entirely different debate.

[@northernstar4811]

The Yugoslav communist party gave Croatian populated Neum to Bosnia and Herzegovina after WW2 and cut Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) into two parts. Before WW2 Neum had been part of the "Banovina of Croatia" an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The village of Sutorina which was another sea outlet for Bosnia was given to Montenegro after WW2. None it made sense unless you realised the communists ( & pro-Serbian interests) were behind these territorial decisions.

[@northernstar4811]

*Should be: None of this makes sense unless you realise...

[@realhawaii5o]

@@northernstar4811 Actually, historically Neum was held by the ottomans via Bosnia as a buffer between the Ragusa Republic (Dubrovnik) and the Serene Republic of Venice.

[@northernstar4811]

@@realhawaii5o The Austrians kicked out the Ottoman Turks in the 19th century. Neum went back to Croatia before WW2.

[@vrbacity]

@@northernstar4811 yeah because giving croats more land after they built concentration camps and sided with hitler would have been the right thing to do. What world do you live in? Delusional.

[@daliborhorvat8209]

is giant BS from muslim politicians in Bosnia.... this region is historically Croatian land and un-naturally divided from Croatia land....

[@EdoModun]

Historicaly is going back to the Republics of Dubrovnik and Venice and Otoman empire. At that time it had sense. Later, not so much.

[@EdoModun]

@Bosnian Church History, learn it.

[@northernstar4811]

@@EdoModun Bosnia and Herzegovina is really Central Croatia. If you look at a map of the region its very obvious to see. Bihac now located in Western Bosnia used to be Croatia`s capital city at one point.

[@EdoModun]

@@northernstar4811 And what is Your point?

[@jimkillerx]

@@northernstar4811 Really? I’m in Bihac right now and I had no clue.

[@jansobieski6240]

Not Bosnia or Herzegovina just bosnian muslims,Croats and Serbs from B&H support this bridge.

[@tarik6990]

Of course they do, they always support what's worst for Bosnia until they can dismantle the country.

[@GospodinNelson]

But they're national minorities

[@tarik6990]

@@GospodinNelson Yes and they need to behave like national minorities instead of trying to dismantle the entire state for their fascistic projects which were defeated in the past.

[@jansobieski6240]

@@GospodinNelson Is that muslim humor?

[@croatianwarmaster7872]

@@GospodinNelson muslims are barely a plurality, not the majority. And even if any of the 3 ethnic groups were even 3% of the population they must have equal power due to the Dayton peace agreement.

[@mariocroatia9321]

Only Bosnian Muslim nationalists are "angry".Normal people in B&H are fine with it

[@mariocroatia9321]

This video is total one sided propaganda

[@jolantamsk3894]

We left early in the morning for Dubrovnik, from Split (and back). Long before the Bosnian boarder there were hours long lines of cars and buses! Hot temperatures! Bosnian customs (“whatever” attitude) couldn’t care less to promptly process our passports. They were very slow!!! In addition, the roads in that part of BH are narrow, making the drive very unsafe, especially for drivers not used to those conditions (tourists, locals, kids, running/walking on the side of the road, where there is hardly a sidewalk). I am looking forward to visiting Dubrovnik again LESS that terrible drive through BH …. The bridge will greatly improve everyone’s overall experience. It’s a beautiful drive throughout Croatia, and down to Dubrovnik. BH has a lot to work on BEFORE complaining about others.

[@johnDoe-uc8zt]

you are right! I hated every time I had to pass through BH driving through the Croatian territory. I was traveling on a car with Albanian plates as I was stationed there, and couldn't stand the attitude of those corrupt malicious and prejudging custon/border control employees, who would come with creative manners (more like maneuvers) every single time for a few Euros BAKSHISH. Loved the Croatians and Montenegrins at the border, so relaxed, waiving you through and smiling ... on a blue background that reminded me the Adriatic and Ionian coast line of Albania down south ... makes you feel home as you always see the sea .... As a very fragile state, threatened every minute by the serbs BH will never be able to oppose this done deal from EU for the EU. Cudos to the Croatians for this victory.

[@jimkillerx]

You’re right in what you’re saying, but Bosnia has every right to complain about the construction of this bridge.

[@jolantamsk3894]

@@jimkillerx I always focus more on “responsibilities” then those “rights”.

[@johnDoe-uc8zt]

@@jimkillerx Complain : let me see the dark side of this word. Bosnia has no war power against NATO and EU it is just a drop of water in the Mediterranean. This EU invesment is there to stay and will be protected by the EU. The bright side of the complain : Bosnia has no clue where it is coming from and where it is going. Landlocked (practically non-existent coast) in the Balkans and therefore bound as cattle for the EU slaughter they can do pretty much NOTHING. Croatia as a member of EU (although quite a nationalist country still having the scars of the separation war) offered its harbors for BH, hence fully controlling their projections of the future. So can Croatia do damage control during those 30 years that will probably take for the Balkans to join EU (sorry for my overwhelming optimistic view)? Because after joining, the word complaint is going out of the window. Ask Greece and Bulgaria about the power they get as EU member in solving disputes between neighbors. Croatia has an excellent history in the last 30 years of NON-violent negotiations with neighbors (Slovenia) of similar disputes. The comment I made earlier was just an observation from a third party. I only thank the Croats for building that bridge and making me feel only happy by the sea. With this bridge, they help me sharing mutual respect (unlike BH) and then again help me share better my responsibilities living in the same region. PS. Full disclosure, I think I understand better the Croats, although myself a Muslim, maybe because I have spent most of my life embracing the same sea, the Adriatic Sea, and their choice to unify their coast is something I just love and support.

[@jimkillerx]

@@johnDoe-uc8zt Nothing you’ve said changes the fact that Bosnia and Hercegovina has every right to complain about the construction of the bridge. Albeit the construction of the bridge was indeed neccessary and it’ll help the tourists and the Croatians not having to drive on the awful roads in Bosnia - they should be thankful to the EU for funding the bridge as well as the Chinese company that built it.

[@edkuca7385]

This guy is lying everything. Bosnia was supposed to meet 14 EU coditions, they haven't meet a single one. According to his story, the reason is EU and everybody else doesn't like them.

[@user-ss6un6ct4c]

If we Croats were thinking and acting like BiH "experts" we wouldn't have a pair of socks. International law should be ignored exceptionally in this case because it HELPS connect Croatia and it HELPS BiH prevent huge pressure on its boarders. It also helps tourists that want to visit Neum (BiH) to do it more easily although there won't be people buying water and snacks when they were passing through Bosnia anymore. This "open sea" thing can and would be sold in future but it was crutial for us to build this now

[@apollonmagg4603]

Guys WHAT do you expect from a TURKISH CHANNEL???? To hear the truth???? Will never happen.

[@DataLog]

All Bosnian conditions were met. Even the height of the bridge was increased to 55m, so that they could keep dreaming about their port. Btw, that part of the sea was also given to Bosnia by Croatia... They didn't even own it.

[@northernstar4811]

The Yugoslav communist party gave Neum to Bosnia, before WW2 Neum was part of the "Banovina of Croatia".

[@role6159]

If there was justice BiH should return that city of Neum to Croatia,99% of residends of Neum and that part of territory are Croats

[@DataLog]

​@@role6159 True, but I personally don't care about that. It's a done deal, we are over it, the only thing I wish is for Bosnians to get over it, and not just making up more excuses as a way to mistreat Croats in their area.

[@jimkillerx]

@@role6159 If there was justice, a lot of the Croatian seashore would be Bosnian territory too as it was in the 1800’s under the Ottoman rule. Neum is, and will remain, Bosnian territory and land.

[@brunobegic3841]

@@jimkillerx Only on paper. Neum consists of 97.5% ethnic Croats and just around 50 people from other ethnic groups. This entire video is a fluke spreading lies and misinformation. Anyway, Bosniaks only care for Neum just months prior to the elections when their nationalist politicians use it to create a certain level of interethnic hatred to gain some extra votes and fill the media with random bridge related bs to remove the spotlight from their corruption and incompetence that goes back almost 30 years. Unfortunately their methods have been working because of the average Bosniak hatred towards Croats far exceeds their intellectual capacity (there are exceptions of course).

[@hutcx65]

Who cares if Bosnia is not happy with the Bridge.

[@apollonmagg4603]

Turkish channel loves bosnians.

[@Ball_Foots]

Because bosnians are turkish

[@apollonmagg4603]

@@Ball_Foots bosnians are bosnians// turks are turks/ but turks see them as turks because they wanna steal their land

[@realtalk675]

Thank you china 🇨🇳 ❤️🇭🇷 for helping us for this big solution for all the people included people who work , have famillies there and tourists. Bosnia was exploiting this situatian for too long

[@jdc3636]

In 3 years, China built this bridge, imagine if this is contracted to an European company, it will be delayed for 10years and cost three times as much.

[@lvjinbin28]

I think it's high enough

[@user-ss6un6ct4c]

Bridge is heigh enought for the biggest ships, accept maybe for huge tankers which wouldn't go in Neum anyway

[@dalmatinac_]

Bosnians explaining how the bridge will destroy tourism in Neum (it never existed)

[@gunsumwong3948]

I hear Bosinia complaining about the height of the bridge not high enough but Bosnia did not gave what height they would be happy with. The Pelijsac bridge is currently 99m high from the water and the water depth is 27m. Allowing say 2m clearance from the seabed a vessel with submerged depth say 25m and the above water height of say 95m can pass this bridge. The ship dry height is approximately 4 times the wet height. I would have thought such vessel may be unstable. Thus the bridge height is reasonably reflective of the water depth. By demanding greater bridge height is academic only because the channel there does not have a navigation depth to support taller ships!

[@borapetrovic1957]

im Serb and im glad Croats build it, onley bosnians will complain how they are victams the moment Serbs or Croats do something good for there people since bosnians arent capleble of doing those things. we need independence for Republika Srpska and croatian part of BIH so our people can live normaly and not be pulled down by bosnians to there shity level

[@croatianwarmaster7872]

Bosniaks* Bosnian is a regional name which is used by Croats, Serbs and Bosniaks.

[@northernstar4811]

@@croatianwarmaster7872 The Bosnian muslims usurped the name "Bosniak" which used to be identified with ethnic Bosnian Croats from the 16th century. I think Croatia should take the Bosnian muslims to court at the U.N for usurping a Croat traditional & historic name.

[@jimkillerx]

Calm yourself and worry about your own shithole of a country. The Orthodox and Catholic Christians in Bosnia are Bosnians and are not from Serbia, nor are they from Croatia. The Bosnians of all faiths will be united when the time is right and the country will flourish.

[@fiditenemini2452]

cry me a river.

[@hansthesoldier8700]

Wait but neum isnt a large port BIH dosent have huge cargo ships + bridge is high enough for those kind of ships

[@01010100001010101001]

“where bosnia begins logic ends” - ivo andric, nobel prize winner, and this is where you build a bridge

[@Star207]

TRT sides with their servants Bosnian Muslim

[@teknikijaguarlandrover4940]

Well that's good that new bridge could be build by passing two BIH borders. I'm going to travel down south after some weeks and i'm glad will not be passing thosse borders where they ask you for money and treat bad in almost all none EU Balkan borders.

[@EdoModun]

Not sure if airplane carier can get under the bridge...

[@ericliume]

You need to have one, don't you?

[@EdoModun]

@@ericliume For example French or American.

[@scipion34]

Why would you need an aircraft carrier here? Especially with the many OTHER ports in Croatia, Bosnia doesn't need an aircraft carrier because there's no port or reason for the aircraft carrier to dock here.

[@EdoModun]

@@scipion34 It's a sarcasm. Becouse of the hight.

[@scipion34]

@@EdoModun oh alright, guess I misunderstood it

[@AllinOne-dg3dk]

Herceg bosna dajtr nam zemlju nazad vise

[@umeshutan6959]

This is the price for listening to the Americans and breaking up Yugoslavia

[@tarik6990]

Aside from this bridge, the main problem is the sheer hatred towards Bosnia. Some people do not acknowledge and recognize this country and then they dare to ask Bosniaks to respect their desire of separatism in the interest of peaceful coexistence. The hypocrisy is astounding!

[@daniel72122]

Look how Izetbegović and his Sarajevo clowns spew hatred towards Croats. It's no wonder no one wants to be in a union with your evil politicians anymore. Once you get rid of Izetbegović your country can progress

[@scipion34]

Exactly what is your problem with the bridge? It is 55m high, high enough for any future cargo ship that may pass here, (which probably won't in the next 100 years.) I say you shut the f**k up. And your "hypocrisy"? What hypocrisy is there? People may hate BiH yes, but that doesn't tie into the bridge at all.

[@superymariowest2403]

Admir didn't properly explain the situation or express the problem. A port is important economically since sea trade is the cheapest and most efficient way to enter the global market. A port would allow for Bosnia and Herzegovina to import and export resources and products at a significantly lower price than currently, hypothetically boosting the economy. The plan is to build a port on the 22km of sea access, most likely away from the tourist area in Neum. Currently, this plan is just an idea that would take 15-20 years to realize but the original Peljesac bridge plan would cut access for major ships due to height clearance, rendering the port insignificant in the event that it is built. A complaint was filed and the design was changed to allow for a higher clearance. Without asking Bosnian leaders, the EU accepted 55m as an acceptable height and the project was started. Some say Bosnians don't have the right to complain because they don't even have the port, the idea of development happening in Bosnia is laughable, and Croatians are building in Croatia. The Bosnians are very bad at conveying the idea but they are not happy about their only access to sea being restricted, the opportunity for growth is taken away from them. The benefits outweigh the complaints and some arrangements could be made in the Croatian port of Ploce. It isn't the end of the world but it is enough to get the media talking about this instead of the money laundering politicians are doing in the background.

[@daliborhorvat8209]

this bay cant support large port. actually, this regions historically was croatian but during history this land was divided by war and conquerors, and only against bridge is muslim politicians in Sarajevo with phantom port plans

[@superymariowest2403]

@@daliborhorvat8209 the maps were redrawn many times but yes, most recently it historically belonged to Ragusa, Dubrovnik's independent Republic. As Napoleon was steamrolling Europe and Croatia, Dubrovnik gave the land Neum is built on to the Ottoman Empire so that they have that buffer. If Napoleon planned on attacking Dubrovnik, he would have had to either declare war on the Ottomans or build a fleet in the Adriatic sea. When the Ottoman Empire fell, the land went to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yes, the geography of the bay and small peninsula are completely not suitable for a large seaport. The finances, resources, designs, and infrastructure to get building materials and tools to the work site are all imaginary objects at this point. It isn't just the Muslims in Sarajevo complaining about it, the Croat president in Herzegovina is also complaining as well as other politicians going down the ranks. In truth, they are complaining for the sake of controlling the media narrative. The people would think "hey, this guy is fighting for us" and forget about the corruption and profiteering that the news doesn't talk about.

[@northernstar4811]

@@superymariowest2403 "As Napoleon was steamrolling Europe and Croatia, Dubrovnik gave the land Neum is built on to the Ottoman Empire...." It had nothing to do with Napoleon but with the Republic of Venice a couple of centuries earlier. You can look these historical facts up online. BTW Neum is still populated by Croats and its in Bosnia & Herzegovina now thanks to the Yugoslav communist party.

[@antespanja9344]

Well this area around Neum is strikly protekted because animals which can be seen only there and there is singnature from Bosnia aswell... Second a cool weeks ago unter bridge come Cruser and for youst this one ship people in Neum protested to go away... Last Neum whos gifted to Bosnia from croatia and they aldo signed this bridge can be done what else? Well there is not deep inaf for Porth and by this deep cant eniway come ship biger than bridge itself..

[@frajer9555]

Whe should have not wasted the money we got on that bridge, we should inbest in economy. However its a fact now that our goverment is full of thieves and not so smart people. I see wht bosnians mind but it will not affect their economy or anything , since the bridge is big enough for any known vestle to go trhough

[@sasatot2212]

fo

[@TheIrfanxz44]

Dubrovnik should be come own country and declare independence from Croatia

[@tonydalmatinac4695]

WTF, are u crazy or what. Be quit poor guy

[@ItzBPstan]

Why would Dubrovnik do that if the people of Dubrovnik don’t want that?

[@scipion34]

What?