Regional Centre (RC) Mostar covers much of the south of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The region includes three cantons: West Herzegovina Canton (Canton 8) and Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (Canton 7), Bosnia-Podrinje Canton (Canton 5), as well as south-eastern and eastern Republika Srpska.

Administratively, Canton 7 is made up of 8 municipalities and the City of Mostar. The City of Mostar is the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the region and the seat of the cantonal government.

There is evidence of the past throughout the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, from Palaeolithic, Illyrian and Roman times through to the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires. These days, the Canton is best known for the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje, where apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been reported since 1981. Medjugorje now hosts as many as one million visitors a year.

There are just four municipalities in the West Herzegovina Canton. The administrative, economic and cultural centre of the region is Siroki Brijeg, established as a religious centre by Bosnian Franciscan monks in the 19th century. West Herzegovina Canton has been developing its infrastructure to support the intensive economic development of the last decade. The Canton now has a considerably developed network of local and regional roads, and efforts are being made to improve waste disposal sites and water supply systems, in particular irrigation systems that would help boost local agricultural production.

Bosnia Podrinje Canton, with an estimated 42,000 inhabitants, is the smallest canton (573 sq km). The canton consists of three municipalities, two of which (Foca/FBiH and Gorazde) are covered by the FO Foca.

The Republika Srpska is not divided into cantons, just municipalities. Eleven of these fall within Regional Centre Mostar’s area of responsibility. The biggest town in south-eastern Republika Srpska is Trebinje. Various archaeological sites indicate that the area around Trebinje has been inhabited since 14,000 BC. During the Middle Ages and the period of Ottoman rule, Trebinje became an important urban centre, comparable to Mostar. The part of eastern Republika Srpska (RS) within RC Mostar’s area of responsibility is mountainous, sparsely populated and economically depressed.

Mostar´s old bridge has long been a symbol of the unity of the people of the city

Mostar´s old bridge has long been a symbol of the unity of the people of the city

Before the war in the 1990s, the area around Mostar was the most economically developed in the Herzegovina region, with rich agricultural land and a favourable climate, well suited for the production of wine, fruit and vegetables. Other industries, such as metal-working, textiles, tobacco and tourism also flourished. The war completely destroyed infrastructure and production capacity. Although this is slowly being rebuilt, the economy still suffers from a lack of investment and business initiative. In West Herzegovina Canton, mostly small businesses contribute to a lively commercial scene. Before the war, the area that is now south-eastern Republika Srpska was prosperous, with an industrial-based economy. Economic development in the area is now largely stagnant, partly due to its relative isolation and the lack of cross-border economic co-operation with neighbouring Montenegro and Croatia.

Regional Centre (RC) Mostar manages three field offices in the Federation towns of Capljina, Siroki Brijeg, and Foca and two field offices in Trebinje and Visegrad in the Republika Srpska. It employs about 100 people, the majority of whom are BiH citizens.

For more information please contact:

Mr. Adin Sadic, Press Officer

OSCE Regional Centre Mostar
Nikole Subica Zrinjskog 4
88000 Mostar
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Phone: ++387 (0)36 327 771
Mobile: ++387 (0)61 144 304
Fax: ++387 (0)36 327 118

e-mail: press.ba@osce.org