After several weeks of intensive, but friendly, negotiations led by Air Vice-Marshal Rob Wright of the OHR with co-opted assistance from ICAO and SFOR, the Joint Aviation Commission comprising Bosniak, Serb and Croat representatives, today (5 September 1995) reached final agreement on the new structure for the BiH Department of Civil Aviation. The signing of this important agreement, which will be presented to the Council of Ministers at the earliest opportunity for ratification, represents a major success in the formation of Joint Institutions within BiH. The formation of the DCA will provide a major economic boost to the country and will also bring substantial employment benefits.
The BiH DCA will be the focus for all dealings with international aviation organisations and will provide a mixture of policy, coordination and delegated authority to Entity Civil Aviation Departments within respective Ministries of Transport and Communications.
A great deal of work remains but the OHR team will be driving the DCA forward in the coming weeks. We have developed a long term action plan which, with the assistance of a small International team, will allow work to progress quickly on the opening of Mostar, Tuzla and Banja Luka Airports.