London Summit 2018: BIH Gets EUR 275 Mil. for Three Infrastructure Projects

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Dr Denis Zvizdić took part at the London Summit of the Western Balkans Prime Ministers (WB6+EU8) held within the Berlin Process. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina has at Summit three candidate projects totally worth EUR 275 million and all three were endorsed by the European Commission. These are at the Corridor V c sections Tarčin – Konjic and Buna – Počitelj projects of total value of EU 150 mil., and one technical assistance project worth EUR 125 mil, also at the Corridor v c. BIH got EUR 5 mil. plus EUR 35 mil. Grant funds

In his introductory address on economy topics, Chairman Zvizdić thanked to the host, Prime Minister Theresa May and Government of the Great Britain, and conveyed his congratulations for the excellent organisation of the event and shown hospitality.   He said that he is happy for the fact that this year’s Summit takes place in London, because it sends a message that the cooperation and boosting economic, social and cultural ties between the Western Balkans region and Great Britain will continue event after the Brexit

He said 2018 was extremely good year for the whole of the region in the context of returning the enlargement theme to the EU priority list, staring with the Bulgarian chairmanship, publishing of the European Commission Enlargement Strategy, and historic Summit in Sofia, and he congratulated to the Republic of Austria for taking over the chairmanship of the European Union, welcoming the EU enlargement being one of the chairmanship priorities. He added that it is important for the EU focus is kept at the enlargement process and that the related affirmative messages were sent, hopeful that there will be more positive stories to tell by the next Berlin Process Summit. Chairman Zvizdić highlighted the importance of the Agenda for linking in key infrastructure areas, which previously enabled proper planning and prioritisation of key infrastructure directions and projects which finally lead to the consequent economic development of the region. He commended the investment projects published during the Sofia Summit, where Bosnia and Herzegovina got grants for three investment projects in transport infrastructure, worth EUR 32.8 mil. and grant for technical assistance projects worth EUR 5.2 mil.

He emphasised that an important component was launched in Trieste, and that is support to establishment of the regional economic space, saying that Bosnia and Herzegovina is fully committed to the implementation of the Action Plan. He added that investments are of the key importance and generator of economic development, welcoming the establishment of the Regional Investment Agenda, as a platform to give solid framework for approximation of individual investment policies towards the creation of a single investment space. He informed the attending Prime Ministers that even 84% pooled foreign investors present in BIH said they would recommend Bosnia and Herzegovina for investment, but that stability-based policy, securing of required infrastructure and fostering of rule of law appear as inevitable.  In that regard, he added that the Council of Ministers of BIH remains committed to the improvement of business environment, primarily through implementation of needed reforms under the BIH Reform Agenda, while some solutions should be sought at the regional level.

Chairman Zvizdić noted the currently insufficient institutional support to the research and development area, as a key prerequisite for securing maximum use of the most important resource - young and talented people - in order to provide for their full inclusion into the country’s development. Therefore, he particularly commended the focus of this year’s Summit to financing start-ups and SMEs, as generators of innovative development to transform the existing economies.  He added htat out homeland uses many resources, but surely most zthe important  part are young nad talented people, so he expressed his sadness for theunemployment rate is high rightly among this grouop of population, stating his hope that rightly through support to approach to funding and development of innovative entrepreneurship the problem would be possible to solve.

He noted the key issue of region’s transition to digital economy and welcomed launching of the Western Balkans digital Agenda in Sofia, the aim of which is to support region’s transition and bring about advantages of digital transformation, in terms of faster economic growth, more jobs and better services to citizens. He said that all the processes discussed within today’s discussion are necessary to take in order to improve the economies of the region and bring them to the level that huge potentials and resources might be fully used.

As to the security theme, Chairman Zvizdić said that the security issue in the context of international relations is the topic without borders, noting that security threats, as well as the organised crime networks are not burdened by administrative and legislative protocols or borders. He said that from there comes the imperative to respond to the shared challenges in a coordinated action, through sustainable and comprehensive approach to include an active participation and cooperation of all states.

He said that Bosnia and Herzegovina takes an active part in combating terrorism, including the fight against radicalisation and violent extremism, and that other than law enforcement bodies, the active engagement is also on the part of civil society organisations and religious communities. He underlined the fact that, according to BIH law enforcement institutions official data, no departure to foreign war zones was recorded over the last two years.

Chairman Zvzidić touched upon the migrant theme, which represents an alarming issue of both the region and EU. He briefed the attendants that since the beginning of this year, 7.300 migrants entered Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which 6.500 said they would seek asylum, and 650 of them formally applied for it, adding that, for comparison, the number of migrants last year was only 766. He stressed the relevance of the theme, because Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the absence of secured common solutions, addressing the challenges, implied by such migrant trends, and EU support  in terms of material-technical and expertise assistance, including border crossing service expert assistance, will not be able to respond adequately in case of an increase migrant influx. He added that the issue has two significant aspects, which need to be treated: those being the humanitarian and security aspects. He emphasised the aspiration of BIH to be a part of the joint regional and EU solution.

At the foreign policy, bilateral relations and legacy policy session, Chairman Zvizdić said in his address to the Prime Ministers that the prospect of the EU membership is the strongest incentive to the Western Balkans countries for reforms implementation, as well as for reconciliation and confidence-building efforts, and it provides a strong motivation force and serves as an integration factor. He commended the continuous EU support for the regional cooperation, and renewed emphasis on the Strategy of reconciliation and solving the outstanding issues, including a need to solve state borders issues. He underlined that rightly Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro signed the first Border Agreement at the Vienna Summit, held within the Berlin Process.

“The enduring priority of BIH foreign policy is the promotion of cooperation with neighbouring countries, based on joint interests and principles of equality, mutual respect and respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity. We remain fully opt for solving the outstanding issues with our neighbours through dialogues, complying to mentioned cooperation principles and international law-based principles, in addition to our readiness for a constructive and continuous dialogue to the end of achieving progress in outstanding issues solution-finding”, said Chairman Zvizdić.

Chairman Zvizdić welcomed the fact that this year’s Summit opens a dialogue on very sensitive and painful issues. He said that a dialogue on these topics is needed for the purpose of reconciliation, as to take an accountable, informed and well-argued effort to make us a part of the joint solution which will help close the unpleasant past. He added that we have to be a part of those forces to give a required piety to all victims, while putting the perpetrators of horrific crimes to their right place once for all – the gaol of past – and extinguishing evil spirits forever.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sure that we will all agree that the glorification of war criminals, minimisation and negation of feelings, and paying tribute to victims and their families, use of speech of hatred, war-mourning rhetoric, awarding convicted war criminals, all for the sake of gaining cheap political scores, is not the way to build joint future”, Chairman Zvizdić stressed.

He said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to be a part of the solution, it wants to close the doors of the past and to terminate the rhetoric, resembling the one from the beginning of the 1990s. He pointed out at a need to turn to further fostering of good neighbourly relations, promoting dialogue and economic ties, especially, in order to build the better and more prosperous future.

At the end of his address Chairman Zvizdić said that the joint aim connecting all the countries of the region is the EU membership aspiration, saying that it is an important factor that should not loose of its intensity. He appealed to all Prime Ministers to jointly find the way to keep the cause vivid and strengthened, so that we could witness the future period of a continued progress towards the EU integrations by each of the Western Balkans 6. He added that obtaining the EU candidate status is needed by Bosnia and Herzegovina as a guarantee of further stability and prosperity with necessary reforms implementation and standardisation of overall social-economic order, aligning it with the European values.

He stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina remains fully committed to participation in activities within the Berlin Process and Western Balkans 6, to strengthening of mutual cooperation in the areas relevant for stability, economic development, improvement of living standard, and creation of positive political climate in the region.

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH Dr Denis Zvizdić signed at the London WB6+EU8 Prime Ministers four joint declarations by participating countries of the Berlin Process. Chairman Zvizdić, according to authorisations by the BIH Presidency, signed the following documents: Declaration on War Crimes; Declaration on Missing Persons; Declaration on Regional Relations and Mutual Cooperation, and Anti-Corruption Statement.

Chairman Zvizdić, together with Prime Ministers participating at the WB6+EU8 Summit, attended a reception with Prince of Wales Charles at the St. Palace in London.

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