Japanese Hybrid Vehicles Handed Over to Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 19 April 2017, a handover ceremony for 80 hybrid vehicles procured for Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in its capital, Sarajevo, under flakes of snow with the attendance of H.E. Mr. Adil Osmanovic, Minister of Civil Affairs and H.E. Mr. Kazuya Ogawa, Japanese Ambassador.

In Japan's Non-Project Grand Aid for Provision of Next-Generation Vehicle, a total of 120 vehicles, including the first batch of 40 clean diesel vehicles that were handed over to Bosnia and Herzegovina back in October 2016, were provided to the country.

In 2014, severe flooding damaged a number of public vehicles being used by local authorities in the country, interfering with their public service for the poor. By providing Japanese next-generation vehicles, this project aimed at the following:

(1) Contributing to Bosnia and Herzegovina's effort for economic and social development, including recovery from the flood, and environmental protection; and

(2) Raising as well as promoting the recognition of Japanese next-generation vehicles, and supporting Japanese companies to expand their business overseas.

All the vehicles are now distributed to social welfare institutions across the country and used for the purpose of supporting the socially vulnerable people such as disabled or elderly people as well as children without parental care in local communities. In his speech, H.E. Mr. Ogawa highlighted this important intended use of the vehicles provided in this Grant Aid. These next-generation vehicles with Japanese high technology are also expected to contribute to Bosnia and Herzegovina's effort to address environmental issues. H.E. Mr. Osmanovic expressed his gratitude on behalf of his country to Japan's support through the Grant Aid including JICS' work as a procurement agent.

Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced a war in the early 1990s as a result of ethnic tensions among the Bosnian Serbs, Croats and Muslims. Complex ethnic relations in the country can be seen in that the instruction manual books for the procured vehicles needed to be printed in three different country's official languages – Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian. For the selection of social welfare institutions to receive procured vehicles, it was required to give due consideration to the population ratio of each ethnic group and the balance of the vehicle distribution. Despite this sensitive issue, however, cooperation among authorities concerned in the project led to the successful completion of the project.