The Head of the EU Delegation to BiH, Johann Sattler, stated in Prijedor that interaction of all government levels in BiH with the diaspora was sporadic and unstructured, and that half of BiH population was living in more than 50 countries of the world.

– This is a huge potential because these are people with strong emotional and family ties with the homeland, and diaspora can do much more than send money occasionally – said Sattler in his address to the participants in the conference Prijedor and the Diaspora 2021 which gathered about 70 participants today.

Sattler noted that this conference had two important aspects, those being economy and, indirectly, reconciliation.

– Undoubtedly, economic recovery is the most important for citizens, and it is the most important aspect also for the EU. Reconciliation is also among the 14 priorities of the EU which was created as a bloc on the concept of reconciliation between Germany and France, and economic development and reconciliation are mutually encouraging – Sattler added.

He emphasized that two thirds of all investments in BiH came from the EU, that 80 percent of citizens were committed to European integration, and that it was therefore natural to move in that direction.

The Minister of European Integration and International Cooperation of the Republic of Srpska, Zlatan Klokić, said that Prijedor was the best example of investments from people who had returned from abroad and were very successful businessmen today.

– The city has a development strategy based on which it should negotiate potential investments with its citizens from the diaspora and work on strengthening and solidifying further the cooperation with its emigrants – said Klokić.

He stated that a similar conference was held in 2019 in Doboj, today in Prijedor, and also planned next year for Istočno Sarajevo.

The Mayor of Prijedor, Dalibor Pavlović, said that the goal was to incorporate the diaspora into all spheres of life in best possible way.

– Convey to your business associates and friends the messages from this conference that together we can take this city forward by big steps. By joining forces, we have a much greater chance to create a better future for all of us – said Pavlović.

The President of the Assembly of the City of Prijedor, Mirsad Duratović, assessed that institutional support of the local community and other government levels for the diaspora was lacking and that therefore the strength of the diaspora had not been sufficiently utilized thus far for local community development, and added that the incumbent local government was committed to changing that.

– What we need to work on in particular is establishing connection with the second and third generation of our diaspora – said Duratović.

The conference is unfolding in three panels, namely institutional support and potential forms of cooperation with the diaspora, investment opportunities in prosperous sectors, and social development of the city of Prijedor through cooperation with the diaspora.

Source: RTRS

Photo: Tirana Times