The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, met today in Sarajevo with the Minister for Europe of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France, Benjamin Haddad. Konaković emphasized that we appreciate the attention that France is paying to the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its strong support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He particularly thanked Minister Haddad for his engagement and organization of the videoconference held seven days ago during which he, together with his colleagues from Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as the EU, condemned the adoption of laws and decisions in the entity of Republika Srpska that violate the constitutional order in Bosnia and Herzegovina and threaten public freedoms.
Minister Haddad thanked Minister Konaković for the warm welcome, reiterating that France fully supports the European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is ready to assist in the EU integration process, with political action, technical expertise and in ways that are acceptable to both sides. Haddad stressed that the full integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other Western Balkan countries into the EU is crucial for ensuring the long-term security and stability of Europe and that this is a vital interest of all countries on the continent.
After the meeting, the ministers attended the initialing of the Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of the Republic of France on the establishment and activities of the French Development Agency (Afd) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Agreement was initialed by the Assistant Minister for International and Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH Frano Planinić and the Ambassador of France to Bosnia and Herzegovina François Delmas.
The Agreement will be forwarded to the Council of Ministers for further procedure.
During the meeting, mutual satisfaction was expressed with the expansion of the engagement of the French Development Agency (Afd), which is ready to establish its representative office in BiH for the first time, and operates in more than 80 countries worldwide through a network of around 60 local representative offices.
The French Development Agency specializes in private sector development through various projects, from co-financing to project management. The agency increases the competitiveness of entities on the market through its method of financing on the international market (for example, by withdrawing funds from the World Bank and other investment funds) and reduces dependence on expensive capital placed through commercial banks, the Public Relations Office of the BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
