Power at the Presidency of BiH, withdrawal from state institutions threatens stability

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power will hold a meeting today with members of the Presidency of BiH. As she announced yesterday, she will discuss the current political deadlock in which the country finds itself.

"It is clear that threats to withdraw from institutions at the state level threaten the stability achieved 26 years ago with the signing of the Dayton Agreement," Power said in her first address to journalists in Sarajevo.

Threats of withdrawal have no economic or political sense.

"We want to discuss how the US can help the aspirations of all people in BiH. That should be the focus of BiH institutions. How to develop the economy, how to create new jobs, how to fight the pandemic that is rising again in this country, as well as in mine," Power said, adding that topics of discussion will also include corruption, which, as she says, is a huge obstacle to what BiH citizens strive for, namely economic dignity and prosperity.

After the meeting at the Presidency of BiH, Power will go to Trebević where she will present an initiative to promote BiH on the international tourism market and support the USAID Sustainable Tourism Development Project in BiH on that path.

At the event held at the Vidikovac restaurant on Trebević, Administrator Power will be joined by the Minister of Environment and Tourism of the Federation of BiH Edita Đapo, the Minister of Trade and Tourism of the Republika Srpska Suzana Gašić, and a representative of TripAdvisor.

As part of the event, a TripAdvisor campaign will be launched, financed by the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism and implemented by the Chamber of Commerce of the FBiH with the support of the USAID Tourism Project, aimed at increasing the tourist attractiveness of Bosnia and Herzegovina in priority markets such as Austria, Germany, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, and the Persian Gulf states.

Other initiatives to be presented include the 2022 World Rafting Championship, which, with the support of the RS Government, takes place this May in Banja Luka, then activities for the development and promotion of the Herzegovina Wine Route, as well as improving the BiH brand and increasing the number of airlines in the country.