Member of the House of Representatives of the PA BiH Saša Magazinović in Washington with senior officials of the State Department

"Southern interconnection is a common interest of the USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina”

Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH) Saša Magazinović met in Washington, at the State Department, with Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Brendan Hanrahan and his deputy Mark Fleming. The members of the entity parliaments Damir Mašić and Igor Crnadak, as well as the minister in the Sarajevo Canton Government, Darja Softić Kadunić, attended this meeting as members of the delegation.

The conversation focused on the latest political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as on the priorities of future cooperation in the interests of both countries, and primarily on the project of building a new gas pipeline, the Southern Gas Interconnection.

High-ranking officials of the State Department are, among other things, familiar with the content and current procedure of amendments to the Law on Public Procurement and of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, after being adopted by the House of Representatives, are awaiting confirmation by the House of Peoples. These two laws, according to numerous experts, represent the biggest anti-corruption reform in the last two decades.

During the visit to Washington, the delegation had a series of meetings with representatives of both Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress and Senate, where the latest political events in Bosnia and Herzegovina were also a dominant topic. On this occasion, it was once again confirmed that our country has numerous friends in the US institutions who, without exception, emphasize the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a common priority.

"I consider this visit extremely successful and well prepared. We spoke with key people in Washington when it comes to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in addition held numerous meetings with representatives of the academic community, non-governmental organizations, foundations, lobbyists, as well as BiH citizens who work in various governmental and non-governmental institutions. It is extremely important to improve our presence in Washington, because if we do not convey information about events in our homeland, someone else will." which has recently become a noticeable practice. "I expect that in the following period, through specific activities in the US institutions, the fact that our country has friends in Washington will be confirmed once again," said Magazinović.

The visit of the BiH delegation was organized at the invitation of Arcadia University, and in addition to working meetings in Washington, it also included work and meetings with students and professors of this university, as well as numerous panel discussions. (statement from the SDP BiH MP Club in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH)