Japan Supports Demining Activities in Novo Goražde and Bosanska Krupa

On Friday 9 March 2018, ITF Enhancing Human Security (ITF) and Embassy of Japan in Sarajevo signed a grant contract for the project “Support of Demining activities in Novo Goražde and Bosanska Krupa”. Activities of demining and technical survey covered 6 locations in each municipality, in a total sum of 301,177 square meters. The contract was signed by Amb Tomaž Lovrenčič, ITF Director, and Mr Akihito Teruuchi, Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of Japan in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The contract signing ceremony was attended by Mr Saša Obradović, Acting Director of BHMAC, Ms Mila Petrković, Mayor of Municipality Novo Goražde, Mr Armin Haletović, Mayor of Municipality Bosanska Krupa and representatives of Embassy of Slovenia in BiH and U.S. Embassy in BiH. Amb Lovrenčič expressed his gratitude for generous donation of Japan in a sum of 316,220.00 EUR. With this continuous support of Japan, Bosnia and Herzegovina is slowly but surely resolving its mine problem.

The continuous demining process in Bosnia and Herzegovina has a much more profound importance than mere removal of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the ground. This wider process, apart from enhancing human security and basic personal safety, provides pre-conditions for further process of socio-economic development and reconciliation, empowers every single individual with basic human rights, as well as addresses and further supports a wider context of Bosnia and Herzegovina's democratization and EU accession processes.     

Since 1998, Japan has donated over 3.2 million EUR through ITF for projects of mine action activities . With their help and support a total of 1.9 million of square meters of land was demined on 54 project location in Gračanica, Petrovo, Lukavac, Velika Kladuša, Bihać, Šamac, Domaljevac-Šamac, Donji Žabar, Brčko District, Ilijaš and Busovača.