The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, today met with the Mayor of Mostar, Safet Orucevic, and his Deputy, Neven Tomic, to discuss how the Office of the High Representative can further facilitate future development in Mostar.
The High Representative has formed a special Mostar Task Force comprised of OHR staff who would work closely with the Mostar City Administration to support their efforts in creating a financially viable community in the town.
On the basis of a plan of action presented by Mayor Orucevic and Deputy Mayor Tomic during their discussions with the High Representative, it was agreed that the Task Force would consider, amongst other things, the way in which Mostar’s Interim Statute could be harmonised with existing legislation at all levels. The High Representative offered to lend his continuing political and practical support to the efforts of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor in collecting revenues within Mostar, including fees owed by both the BiH and Herceg-Bosna Elektroprivredas.
The High Representative has been very pleased with the clear commitment shown by Mayor Orucevic and Deputy Mayor Tomic to work for the welfare of the citizens of Mostar, irrespective of their ethnic background. He considers their functional cooperation to be a model not only for other towns, but also for the Federation and BiH as a whole. The High Representative strongly supports the concrete efforts undertaken by the Mayor and his Deputy to re-create the vibrant, tolerant and multi-ethnic atmosphere for which Mostar was well known.