Conference on “Perspectives of foreign policy of the Western Balkan countries in regional and cross-border co-operation” ended today

 
Due to the process of globalization, regional and cross-border co-operation is now an imperative for the institutions and organizations at all levels of government in the Western Balkan countries; thus it was concluded at the conference titled "Perspectives of foreign policy in regional and cross-border co-operation", organized by the Foreign Policy Initiative BH, Swiss Embassy in BiH and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the BiH PA, in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH (BiH PA).

MPs Kušljugić Mirza, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the BiH PA HoR, Mladen Ivanković – Lijanović, member of the Committee, as well as MPs in the House of Representatives of the BiH PA, Lazar Prodanović and Nermina Zaimović – Uzunović participated in the conference; alongside nearly 80 representatives of the legislative and executive power at the state and entity level, non-governmental sector, and diplomatic and consular missions in BiH.

The conference was attended by representatives of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro, led by Miodrag Vuković, the President of the Committee for International Relations and Expatriates of the Assembly of Montenegro, and Marija Obradović, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

Analysis of regional and cross-border co-operation was presented during the conference, showing the importance and objectives of cross-border co-operation between BiH and the Western Balkan countries in the region. Experiences were exchanged among neighbouring countries regarding the effects of cross-border co-operation program through the EU IPA Funds.

Participants also discussed the role of the parliamentary commissions/committees on foreign affairs in the regional and cross-border co-operation, namely the decentralization of the cross-border co-operation in the countries of the Western Balkan. In the discussions during these panels, the need to strengthen good neighbour relations in the region was emphasised, as well as the importance of local communities in the Western Balkan countries’ accession process to the European Union.

The conclusion of the conference pointed to the need for necessary institutionalization of regional initiatives, as well as strengthening the capacity of cross-border co-operation, in order to help identify common interests in the region. They further noted the need to establish their own funds for cross-border co-operation in the Western Balkan. (end)