The newly elected member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Zeljka Cvijanovic, announced that she will update the Open Balkans initiative in order to enable the development of the economy in BiH in a regional context.
Cvijanovic emphasized that her main task will be to preserve the interests of Republika Srpska (RS) and that she will advocate for the State Presidency to return the competence for conducting foreign policy, which she believes has been “usurped”.
“This foreign policy has been operating in general disorder for years, so that you had a complete usurpation of foreign policy activities in favor of one people and the political representatives of that one people. So, I think that things must be determined well. The interest is to realize some international or regional project or whatever what a project with a foreign element that will mean betterment for anyone, citizens, economy, institutions,” she explained.
She also pointed out that the Presidency of BiH will once again actualize the Open Balkans initiative so that the country can “get out from the economic mire”.
“It would mean a lot for our carriers, for our businessmen, for tourists, the academic community, students, for the working-age population, their migration in the narrowed space that is the Balkan space, so they do not go to other parts of the world, sowe keep them here,” said Cvijanovic.
She also believes that the Open Balkans is just a replica of the Berlin process.
“The Open Balkans gives us an opportunity for upgrading that the Berlin Process does not offer us, but basically you have certain things that are compatible. And now the Berlin Process is good for you, but the Open Balkans is not good, because that is some of our internal Balkan story,” Cvijanovic concluded, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.