The Republic of Srpska stands ready to offer good conditions to investors from the diaspora, i.e. people from Srpska who are established businessmen abroad, said the Minister of European Integration and International Cooperation, Zlatan Klokić, today on Jahorina.

Before the roundtable on Strengthening Cooperation of Republic of Srpska Institutions with Civil Society Organizations and Diaspora Communities, Klokić told reporters that the line ministry had adopted a strategic framework for cooperation with the diaspora. He explained that an action plan had been adopted, and that the strategy was divided into several segments, i.e. it had several objectives, including strengthening economic cooperation with the diaspora.

– We wish to show our businessmen in the diaspora that businessmen from the Republic of Srpska can also respond to the demands of the European market – said Klokić. According to him, the Ministry was supporting civil societies from the diaspora, so a Diaspora Forum was held in 2018 in cooperation with the office of the President of the Republic of Srpska, and European Folklore Festival in Banja Luka was supported.

– We are aware of the importance of the Ministry having good cooperation with the civil society, especially that from the diaspora – Klokić pointed out, adding that the line ministry had organized a large number of meetings and forums on cooperation between businessmen of the Republic of Srpska and the diaspora. He stated that forums had been organized in Prijedor, Doboj, and other cities of the Republic of Srpska and deals closed with businessmen from the diaspora.

Klokić noted that representative offices of the Republic of Srpska abroad had organized roundtables in the past period, where businessmen from Srpska had presented their potentials.

– In addition to all these activities, in the next period we will try to promote the Republic of Srpska in the best light – said the Minister of European Integration of Srpska.

The EU for Civil Society project leader, Igor Stojanović, said that activities within this project included capacity strengthening of public institutions, in order to improve their cooperation with civil society organizations in the decision-making process, regarding both creating and implementing new policies.

– Therefore, the project provides technical support for holding of today’s meeting, where the Ministry of European Integration discusses with civil society organizations from the Republic of Srpska and the diaspora a proposal action plan for implementing the strategy of cooperation with the diaspora – said Stojanović.

The President of the Union of Students of the Republic of Srpska, Nikola Bojić, said that the Union had good cooperation with the republic ministries of European integration and higher education, through implementation of numerous projects and programs.

– Through projects, we endeavor to connect students and youth from the Republic of Srpska with their colleagues from the diaspora – Bojić pointed out, adding that best cooperation existed with organizations of Srpska’s students abroad, with which the Union had been successfully cooperating for many years. According to him, today’s roundtable is an opportunity for discussion aimed at future identifying of the programs and projects to be jointly implemented with students from abroad.

This two-day gathering, funded by the EU Delegation to BiH, is attended by 35 representatives of civil society from Srpska and the diaspora, business sector and institutions of the Republic of Srpska. The EU for Civil Society project has facilitated technical support for the dialogue of Republic of Srpska institutions and civil society organizations from the diaspora, to strengthen cooperation and create the content of future public policies on the basis of discussions in order to accelerate economic and social development of BiH using diaspora capacities.

Source and photo: SRNA