Crnadak in Washington: Prospects for Progress in Reforms in BiH 20 Years After Dayton

Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Igor Crnadak participated in the conference "Twenty Years After Dayton: Prospects for Progress in Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina" organized by the Center for Transatlantic Relations of the School of Advanced International Studies (CTR SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University and the American-Bosnian Foundation (ABF) held at Johns Hopkins University in Washington.

Minister Crnadak was the keynote speaker at a panel session on the topic "Investor and Private Sector Perspectives: Reform Agenda and Doing Business in Bosnia and Herzegovina," reports the Patria News Agency.

Minister Crnadak spoke on the occasion about the European integration process of Bosnia and Herzegovina, macroeconomic indicators, the business environment, conditions for doing business, and attracting foreign investment in BiH 20 years after the initialing and signing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH.

Among other things, Minister Crnadak stated that BiH is a potential candidate country for membership in the European Union, building and strengthening friendly relations with EU member states as well as with other countries - the United States, Russia, China, Turkey... and a country that, according to the latest European Commission Report, has returned to the reform path and begun addressing the remaining priorities on the path to European Union accession, as evidenced by the adoption of the Reform Agenda.

During his presentation, Minister Crnadak particularly emphasized that the biggest obstacle to significant foreign investment in BiH is corruption, which the current authorities at the BiH level will resolutely fight. He also stressed that he expects the same approach to this problem from the authorities at the entity level, both in Republika Srpska and in the Federation of BiH.

Minister Crnadak listed the Law on Foreign Direct Investment, according to which foreign investors have the same rights and obligations as BiH residents, membership in CEFTA, a stable currency, an excellent geographical location, diverse and rich natural resources, and a quality workforce, significant resources for the development of energy, the agri-food industry, infrastructure, tourism, and other areas, as advantages for doing business in BiH, and cited data from research by the German Chamber of Commerce in BiH and this year's edition of the World Bank's Doing Business report.

Later this week, Minister Crnadak will participate in the conference "20 Years of the Dayton Peace Agreement," which will be held as the central event commemorating the anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement in the USA from November 19 to 21, 2015, at the River Campus of the University of Dayton in Dayton.

The conference program includes Minister Crnadak speaking at the opening of the conference on November 19, as well as being the keynote speaker for two panel sessions on the same day: "Implementation of Dayton: Challenges in Transformation from Dayton" and "What is the Role of the USA in BiH Today and How Can the USA Be More Effective." Minister Crnadak is also scheduled to address the conference on Friday, November 20, it was announced from the MFA BiH.