The America-Bosnia Foundation and the Center or Transatlantic Relations (CTR) SAIS at the Johns Hopkins University of Washington, in cooperation with the American Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are organising a conference entitled “Focusing on Reforms: 2020 Vision of BiH” the following week.
The conference will be attended by numerous international and local experts from the NGO sector, business, the media and political life, and, as confirmed, the participants will be addressed by the Assistant of Deputy Secretary of State of USA Hoyt Yee, the American Ambassador in BiH Maureen Cormack, the President of the Council of Ministers of BiH Denis Zvizdi?, the Chief of the EU Delegation and the Special Representative of the EU in BiH Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, as well as the higher expert associates Daniel Serwer and Saša Toperi? from the Centre for Transatlantic Relations SAIS at the Johns Hopkins University of Washington.
As stated for Fena by the Executive Director of the America-Bosnia Foundation Mak Kamenica, this conference is a continuation of significant activities that the CTR SAIS and the America-Bosnia Foundation began this year on commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Dayton in Washington on 16 and 17 December that provided a significant support to BiH on the road to social and economic reforms.
“The excellent cooperation with all governmental levels in BiH was emphasized many times during the conference, which is considered to be a great encouragement and potential when it comes to reformation processes and BiH accession to the EU. Likewise, MMF representatives, World Bank, EBRD, as well as the American investor KKR Group, have affirmatively supported the announced reforms, but also pointed to the series of urgencies that BiH must resolve instantly. We used the conference in Washington to represent the platform of the Centre for Transatlantic Relations SAIS that gatered, for the first time, representatives of all key factors in reformation processes. In that sense, the messages of togetherness were sent from all levels of authority in BiH in the context of implementing social and economic reforms. These processes were supported by all the present official representatives of the USA and the EU”, stated Kamenica.
According to Kamenica, the role of the civil sector is also of great significance in the process of making strategic solutions on the road to economic and social refoms in BiH. The Institute for Youth Development KULT participated in the conference in Washington as a BiH NGO, presenting its successful models that contribute to the economic development of the country, with emphasis to keeping youth experts in BiH. One of the models presented was the platform for coordinating the work of governmental, civil and economic sector entitled “BH Business Site” and the second model relates to the long-term strengthening of the local youth entrepreneurship through financial and professional incentives for start-up businesses. The Institute is an important partner to authorities in BiH in finding and implementing the best ideas that will create a positive environment for living in BiH.
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