Sinno at Hadžibajrić's: No progress towards EU without active role of local communities

Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Khaldoun Sinno, paid a working visit today to the Municipality of Stari Grad Sarajevo, where he spoke with Mayor Ibrahim Hadžibajrić and associates about local development of the municipality and the role of local levels of government in the European integration process, reports the Patria agency.

- When it comes to local self-government, I must say that it is the foundation, the core of every state, on which the European Union itself rests. We discussed development projects in the Stari Grad municipality. I hope that some projects will go even better when it comes to the Stari Grad Municipality, but we have had excellent cooperation with the institutions of the European Union so far and have had no problems - said Hadžibajrić.

Sinno said that BiH will not be able to progress on the path towards the EU without an active role of the local community and local self-government.

- Most of the laws that must be implemented from the European Union must be implemented at the level of local communities. Municipalities are of crucial importance, and that is why we wanted to establish cooperation and talk, to see what challenges and opportunities municipalities are facing - said Sinno.

Sinno emphasized that the Stari Grad Municipality has made great progress when it comes to services tailored to citizens.

- This is a municipality that is extremely rich in culture and history, which is a magnet for attracting tourists. The EU, together with donors, participated in the restoration of the Vijećnica, and since 2013 we have been supporting the SFF through Cine link. Our support is not limited to political aspects. We are now working on a large project that will cover the entire country, relating to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and tourism development - added the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to BiH.

Sinno called on young people to use the benefits of the Erasmus+ program and go to other countries to gain new experiences.