Crnadak in Vienna: Strengthening Civil Society in BiH is one of the authorities' priorities

Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Igor Crnadak participated in Vienna, a day before the Western Balkans Vienna Summit, in the work of the Civil Society Forum. The Forum was organized by the Erste Foundation, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Renner Institute, and under the patronage of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, reports the Patria News Agency.  

 

In addition to Minister Crnadak, participants of the Forum included Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania Edi Rama, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Montenegro Igor Lukšić, and representatives of the non-governmental sector from the Western Balkan countries.

The Civil Society Forum was an opportunity for high-ranking officials from the region to exchange views on the position of civil society in their countries, the relationship of authorities towards initiatives originating from this sector, and to present ideas for its improvement.

In his address, Minister Crnadak gave a brief overview of the state of civil society in BiH, noting that the main challenges faced by representatives of the civil sector in BiH generally do not differ from the situation in civil society in the region's countries. Minister Crnadak emphasized that support for the development of civil society certainly represents one of the priorities of any democratic government, and noted that when it comes to such development in the region, the key to achieving positive results lies precisely in building a culture of regional cooperation and connectivity, as well as in the economic situation of each country, job creation, and societal prosperity.

Crnadak also noted that BiH, as the country currently presiding over the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, has designated the promotion and strengthening of the civil society sector as one of the priorities of its activities within this international organization, it was announced from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.