Half of the Sarajevo Canton Government in Austria: Not a Word About Water Shortages, Polluted Air, and Poor Infrastructure

By: Amra Vrabac

Five ministers in the Sarajevo Canton Government and the Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton visited Austria to deepen cooperation that began last year, when a delegation from Carinthia visited Sarajevo and signed an Agreement on the development of mutual cooperation and contacts with the Government of Sarajevo Canton.

"We opened a number of significant topics, with the desire to present what is happening in Sarajevo Canton and to invite investors from Carinthia and Austria to come and invest in Sarajevo Canton," said Prime Minister Uk, also mentioning a concrete example of investment in renewable energy sources already realized by a company from Carinthia.

In the information published on the website of the Sarajevo Canton Government, there is no data on whether Uk informed the Austrian partners that Sarajevo introduces water reductions at night, that the situation with water sources is alarming and the authorities have not even protected them, that the director of the Water Supply and Sewerage Company "is nowhere to be found", that they need to wear filter masks even in the summer period in Sarajevo because the air is polluted.

The meetings discussed cooperation at the university level, cyber security, cultural connections...

Governor Kaiser emphasized that Carinthia and Austria must support Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to the EU and highlighted the importance of interregional cooperation. Among other things, he said they have extensive experience in using renewable energy sources, microelectronics, wood processing..., and that they want to share this knowledge with Sarajevo Canton. He added that there is also a great opportunity for stronger connections in terms of higher education, EU integration, cyber security, culture, and sports...

Minister of Economy of Sarajevo Canton Zlatko Mijatović presented the small business incentive program, i.e., incentives for direct foreign investments, and cited legal reforms that encourage foreign investments in Sarajevo Canton. He also mentioned opportunities for cooperation in the field of winter tourism, into which significant funds are being invested, and stated that Austria's experience in combating climate change would be valuable.

Presenting the situation in her department and the need for reforms of internal capacities, Minister of Science, Higher Education and Youth of Sarajevo Canton, Prof. Dr. Adna Mesihović, stated that Sarajevo Canton would benefit from assistance regarding changes to reform programs at universities, that she wants to hear Austria's experiences regarding support for scientific research projects and the establishment of institutes, improving the position of young people...

Minister Mesihović could, for example, visit student dormitories in Austria and then transfer those experiences to Sarajevo, where students have no hot water, their rooms leak, and we expect them to stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina and work on its progress.

Minister for Veterans' Affairs Omer Osmanović stated that his focus is on the culture of remembrance and, appreciating the vast experience the hosts have with museum activities, they could establish cooperation in that segment.

Minister of Justice and Administration Darja Softić Kadenić said that the focus of cooperation, regarding the department she heads, could be on digitalization, while Minister of Internal Affairs Admir Katica mentioned that experiences in combating cybercrime would be of great help to the Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Internal Affairs. Also, as one of the common topics, he mentioned migration. I assume that Katica did not inform the Austrian partners that migrant centers are exclusively in Sarajevo and Bihać, instead of being distributed at the points of entry into Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The cantonal authorities also met with the former High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko. We do not know the topics of the conversation because they were not announced. But we will assume that Inzko, even after this meeting, expressed concern for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition to the ministers and Uk, the delegation also included representatives of the Agency for Investment Attraction and Privatization of Sarajevo Canton, the Employers' Association, the Office for Diaspora of the Sarajevo Canton Government, and the Institute for Pre-University Education of Sarajevo Canton.

And while the capital is choking in dust and polluting particles in the air that will only worsen with the arrival of autumn, and we have no water either during the day or at night, for Uk and his merry band, these were not topics they presented to the hosts. Because they, after all, took a bath. In Austria.