The Delegation of the House of Representatives officially met with the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Turkey

Good political relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Turkey should be strengthened in the future by intensified economic cooperation. Moreover, it is important to connect the parliaments of the two friendly countries, especially regarding the ratification of the treaties that would abolish the two-folded taxation and administrative boundaries in order to enable easier Turkish investment to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was emphasized during today’s official talks between the delegations of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, composed of Dr. Milorad Živković and his deputies Dr. Božo Ljubić and Dr. Denis Bećirović, with the president of the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Cemilom Çiçekom.

As was emphasized today, an additional bridge that might connect the businessmen of the two countries could be the citizens of the Republic of Turkey who immigrated from the Balkans to Turkey throughout history. Today they represent an important and integral part of Turkish society. Accordingly, they could encourage Turkish investors to invest and increase their presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition, President Çiçek welcomed the formation of the Council of Ministers and expressed the hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina will soon pick up the pace within the region and accelerate the process of Euro-Atlantic Integration. In addition, he expressed enthusiasm about the strengthening of inter-parliamentary cooperation in South-Eastern Europe that would contribute to the stability, security and peace of the entire region.

In the name of the Delegation and the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Speaker Živković expressed gratitude for the help that the Republic of Turkey provided to Bosnia and Herzegovina. He expressed the hope that Turkish investments in the BiH economy would be equally distributed throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future. He also emphasized the fact that during the last few years, the presence of Turkish investors has increased, which contributes to the economic development of our country.

During today’s session, it was emphasized that the two friendly countries, which have the same foreign policy goals regarding Euro-Atlantic integration, will continue to support each other. In addition, the Republic of Turkey will continue to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in international institutions. Furthermore, the common conclusion was that there are still many areas for strengthening cooperation, such as science, tourism and health, but also that there is a need for stronger connections between universities and the cities of the two countries which could result in cooperation on the local level.

However, special attention was devoted to the need for stronger links between the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Grand Assembly of the Republic of Turkey that could create the environment for the strengthening of relations. With this aim in mind, the idea of organizing annual sessions between the representatives of the above-mentioned Parliamentary Assemblies and the intensification of  communication between the parliamentary bodies was emphasized. (end)