OHR welcomes the agreement signed today between representatives of the BiH and FRY vehicle insurance industries allowing mutual recognition of insurance for cross-border traffic. The arrangement means that all BiH drivers holding valid green cards may enter the FRY without paying border insurance. In similar fashion, FRY drivers holding special yellow cards issued by their FRY insurance companies may enter BiH without paying border insurance. This bi-lateral mutual recognition regime would allow drivers from both countries to drive freely without undue exposure to risk. Appropriate authorities in BiH and FRY are being notified that the agreement comes into force at 24:00 Monday, 11 September 2000.
OHR took the exceptional measure to facilitate the negotiations in order to preserve the BiH constitutional right for BiH drivers to full freedom of movement of persons, goods, services, and capital. Unfortunately, the official response of BiH authorities fell far short of this basic responsibility. OHR would like to caution the authorities in BiH that freedom of movement is not a toy to be played with for short-term political purposes, nor is it a political tool to be used at the expense of the citizens of this country.