Intergovernmental consultations on bilateral development cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the Federal Republic of Germany were held yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH in Sarajevo.
The consultations were attended by 32 representatives of institutions of BiH from the state and entity levels, as well as 17 representatives of German institutions: the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, the Embassy of Germany in Sarajevo, the Credit Institution for Reconstruction (KfW), and the German Agency for Development Cooperation (GIZ).
The head of the delegation of BiH was the Assistant Minister for Multilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH, Aida Hodzic, while the German delegation was led by the Head of the Department for Southeastern and Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, Heike Backofen-Warnecke.
The main topics of the consultations were the political framework for cooperation between the two countries, with emphasis on European Union (EU) integration and the Berlin Process, as well as issues of energy and climate, sustainable economic development, and good governance in public affairs.
Assistant Minister Hodzic thanked the German side for 30 years of support and successful cooperation, which has been manifested through financial and technical assistance in the implementation of numerous projects in various fields.
In the continuation of the consultations, she informed the German side about the steps BiH is taking on its European path and highlighted the progress in cooperation with the NATO alliance, with particular emphasis on the role of BiH in strengthening regional cooperation.
During the consultations, representatives of BiH institutions reported on the projects currently being implemented in our country within the framework of development cooperation with Germany and presented proposals for future projects in the areas of energy, environmental protection, economic development, and public administration.
Members of the German delegation expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the two countries so far and emphasized that, for German financial cooperation, the priorities are renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, with the aim of building a sustainable energy sector in the country.
They also provided an overview of the development projects they are supporting in BiH. They expressed hope that BiH will, in the coming period, remove all obstacles on its path toward the EU and accelerate the necessary reform processes. The German side also expressed readiness for further, stronger engagement within the framework of development cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH stated.
