Crnadak at Dubrovnik Forum 2017: Peace and stability in the region must be used for economic growth

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Igor Crnadak participated in the ministerial part of the Dubrovnik Forum 2017 together with the highest officials of the region, representatives of the Russian Federation and the USA.

Minister Crnadak spoke at the Panel dedicated to economic cooperation in Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean region.

Speaking mostly about the need for increased economic cooperation in the region, Minister Crnadak emphasized that peace and stability in the region must be used for economic expansion, in order to provide people not only with reforms on paper, but with a genuine improvement in everyday life - lower unemployment, higher salaries and pensions, and a more secure future for the next generations.

The Minister pointed out that the problem of young people leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina has intensified recently, with them leaving these areas mostly due to economic hopelessness, lost trust in institutions, and a lack of faith in a better tomorrow. Minister Crnadak called on the countries of Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean area for stronger cooperation and greater support for young people and solving their problems, as well as developing entrepreneurial spirit, because more and more young people are trying to build careers exclusively in public administration and bureaucracy, which also slows down development.

Within the ministerial segment, the Dubrovnik Forum participants were also addressed by the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dačić, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia Nikola Dimitrov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion of the Republic of Malta Carmelo Abela, as well as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Aleksey Yurievich Meshkov and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the United States of America Hoyt Brian Yee.