Sarajevo hosts best-organized EBRD Annual Meeting to date

(Patria) - The program of the Annual Meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) concluded yesterday afternoon with a business networking event with the EBRD Alumni Association, a global community of over 3000 members.

"At this moment, I can express great satisfaction and pride that BiH hosted this event, as we have been working for many years to enable this conference to be held. I can convey the impressions of the EBRD President, Mr. Suma, and his team, who told us that this is the best-organized Annual Meeting of the EBRD Board of Governors held outside London to date, which makes us particularly pleased. This shows that we know how and can, when we want to," stated the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Denis Zvizdić, today.
The EBRD organizational team expressed their satisfaction with the organization of this event, and Stefania Galbiati Ball, Head of Protocol and the Organizing Committee of the Annual Meeting at the office of

the EBRD Secretary General, noted that statistical data indicate the success of the event itself.

"This Annual Meeting was very well attended, more than any we have organized in recent years. This shows that investors are interested in this country, but also in the region. BiH has been in the spotlight for the last 3 days, and much more awaits us. I hope things will continue to develop in that direction," she stated.

The focus of the entire program was the theme "Connecting economies for stronger growth," and through more than 40 events held, key issues for all countries in the region were discussed. For this very reason, the leaders of the Western Balkan countries also met: the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, the President of the Government of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Denis Zvizdić. Discussing numerous economic and political issues, they agreed that the key to the region's development is joint cooperation on all issues, including the most complex ones.

"We really wanted to send a different image of BiH, and to help create a new perception of our country with this event, in the eyes of those people who will invest here sometime in the future. I think we have taken the first steps on that path." stated the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Mirko Šarović, today.

The President of the EBRD, Suma Chakrabarti, also spoke about the importance of joint action by the Western Balkan countries.

"I consider integration an extremely strong path for market expansion, increasing cross-border investments, and fostering the exchange of new ideas and innovations, which is perhaps the most important," he stated.