The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to BiH Tomas Szunyog met in Bihać yesterday the Cantonal Prime Minister Hamdija Lipovača, the Minister of Agriculture and Economy Amir Džajić and Redžo Kurbegović.
Ambassador Szunyog spoke to his hosts on the details of Czech assistance to BiH.
“In accordance with the program on international cooperation and development until 2017, which was adopted by the Czech government, around 2 million euros annually are planned for various projects in BiH’’, said the Ambassador.
According to him, the focus is on projects in the area of agriculture, environmental protection and renewable energy resources.
Specifically in the USK, a project for energy efficiency for the cantonal hospital “Dr. Irfan Ljubijankić” in Bihać is ranked high, which is under construction. This region has several projects that would strengthen the dairy industry and has a chance to apply for funding assistance to BiH.
Ambassador Szunyog visited the Veterinary Institute of USK, where the Director Hajida Beganović presented the potential of this facility, which is among the leading ones in BiH.
“We were the first ones to uncover aflatoxin in milk at the border crossing of Izačić, and that is one of the main reasons for it to remain as the third BiH crossing with Croatia’’, said Beganović, and added that it is especially important for the health of BiH citizens.
The Ambassador was particularly interested in the work and references of the Institute because in works is a Czech project of assistance to BiH to establish a system of the control of the quality of food, which would be in accordance with EU standards by strengthening the capacity of relevant institutions for the implementation of the National Residue Monitoring Program (NRMP). This would mean the fulfillment of EU standards for the export of animal products to the EU.
After that, they visited the dairy company Meggle, where they met with the Director Kemal Hrnjić. He spoke to them about the activities of the company, which employs 150 people and has around 3.000 farmers and produces more than 40 million liters of milk a year.
“In the next period the main goal will be EU accreditation so that we would be able to export milk to EU countries and we are actively working on that”, said Hrnjić.
Ambassador Szunyog said that the Czech government would continue to help local farmers and milk producers through various projects, from which the milk industry will also have indirect assistance. According to him, the training of farmers and the improvement of production would result in better quality milk.
