A delegation of businessmen from Austria spent the past few days in the Republic of Srpska, where they met with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Srpska, the mayor of Derventa, and visited Krajina House in Banja Luka together with the management of the Banja Luka Agricultural and Rural Development Center.

The Head of the Representative Office of the Republic of Srpska in Austria, Mladen Filipović, said that the visit was very successful, and that the Representation continued the activities of strengthening economic ties and institutional connections aimed at attracting investments, as well as placing products from the Republic of Srpska on the Austrian market.

The Chamber of Commerce meeting noted that the Austrian market had the greatest interest in the wood and metal sectors, but that opportunities were also opening for cooperation improvement in the fields of new technologies and process manufacturing.

The President of the Republic of Srpska Chamber of Commerce, Pero Ćorić, stated the importance of connecting the businessmen of Srpska and Austria, and announced continuation of support for the Fit4Austria project aimed at exchange of knowledge, experience and support for businessmen in establishing business contacts at the Austrian market.

The meeting with the Mayor of Derventa, Milorad Simić, emphasized the importance of transparency of the local administration and support of the institutions of the Republic of Srpska in the process of foreign investments implementation.

‘This visit underscored Derventa’s high-quality politics, the fact that around 17 Austrian companies operate here, which make up around 35 if we add the Croatian and Slovenian companies, being the highest foreign capital concentration in a local community’, said the Mayor of Derventa and noted that the Austrian business delegation’s visit opened the possibility for new investments in this local community.

‘It is significant that Derventa has companies from Austria that have been operating for many years, which will open the door to other businessmen from the diaspora engaged in various fields, IT, wood processing and construction industry, security and others’, said the Representation Head and noted that more than 250 companies from Austria were operating successfully in the Republic of Srpska and BiH.

‘These are mainly the contacts of our people in the diaspora. Through the Representation, we succeeded in bringing companies to Laktaši, Prijedor, and in the eastern part we have a great interest in investing in the field of textiles. Businesses have recognized the good geographical position of the Republic of Srpska, which is significant due to its proximity to the European Union, as well as the stimulating tax policy and measures of the Government of the Republic of Srpska. ‘Derventa is one of the best indicators of how it can work well at the local level with the support of the city and institutions of Srpska’, said Filipović.

During their stay in Banja Luka, the business delegation also met with Nikola Šobot, mayoral candidate for Banja Luka.

Having spoken with the group of businessmen from Austria, Šobot said that Banja Luka needed new investments in high-paying jobs, because it was imperative to retain the young and educated.

‘The Republic of Srpska has a stable political situation, a favorable economic environment with the lowest tax rates, educated and qualified people. It is up to us to make our administration more efficient in Banja Luka. That will be one of my priorities, in order to bring companies not only from Austria, but also from other EU countries to our city’, Šobot stated.

Source and photo: Republic of Srpska Representative Office in the Republic of Austria