Members of the PABiH Friendship Group for North and South America, Australia, Oceania, and Japan Meet with the Ambassador of Japan to BiH

The Chair of the Friendship Group of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH) for North and South America, Australia, Oceania, and Japan, Želimir Nešković, the Deputy Chair of the Friendship Group, Marina Pendeš, and member of the Friendship Group, Džemal Smajić, held a meeting today with the Ambassador of Japan to Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Aikihi Toshihiro.

During the meeting, it was jointly noted that the bilateral relations between the two countries are exceptionally good and friendly, and it was assessed that there is significant room for their improvement, particularly in terms of economic cooperation and trade exchange.

It was emphasized that February of next year will mark the full 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which, as stated, will be an exceptional opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Japan to jointly work on developing bilateral cooperation in all fields while celebrating this significant anniversary.

According to Ambassador Toshihiro, Japan strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as its European path, and advocates for the implementation of reforms on that path to preserve and strengthen the fundamental values shared by the two friendly countries—freedom, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. The ambassador announced that Japan will continue to support and assist Bosnia and Herzegovina and all its citizens, playing, as he said, a constructive role in the international community and international organizations where it participates alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The members of the PABiH Friendship Group particularly thanked the ambassador and the Government of Japan for their long-term assistance and investments in BiH, especially in the areas of infrastructure development, demining, public health support, education, and other fields. In this regard, it was highlighted that the Japanese Government, through various support and assistance programs, has invested nearly 500 million euros in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past three decades.

Discussions also touched upon the vast potential for expanding cooperation in tourism, for which one of the prerequisites is the abolition of visas for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Japanese ambassador confirmed that intensive work is being done on this matter in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH.

A special focus during the talks was also on strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation through the exchange of visits between the friendship groups of the parliaments of BiH and Japan. In this regard, it was assessed that parliaments play a key role in developing bilateral relations between the two countries and in creating an environment for future economic cooperation and Japanese investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (End)