EU officials hold high-level meeting on Reform Agenda with authorities in BiH

Director for the Western Balkans at DG NEAR Genoveva Ruiz Calavera and EUSR/HoD to BiH Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark held a meeting with the Chair of the BiH Council of Ministers Denis Zvizdić, FBiH Prime Minister Fadil Novalić and RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanović in Sarajevo today to review progress on implementation of the Reform Agenda.

Participants agreed that significant progress has already been achieved in implementing the Reform Agenda and that the first phase is almost completed. In this context, particular attention was given to the approval of a new IMF Arrangement and prospects for the early approval of a Development Policy Loan from the World Bank.

“There have been some very difficult, even tough decisions taken in terms of economic and social reforms over the past year. And it is clear that these reforms are starting to show some results. We should not lose track of the fact that the original purpose of these reforms was to create more and better jobs,” Ambassador Wigemark stated.

“I am very impressed by the fact that despite the many challenges that we still have ahead of us, we already have tangible progress and BiH today compares favourably with economic progress in the rest of region, and that is already providing the first result in terms of employment generation,” Director Ruiz Calavera stated.

The meeting was also attended by number of international and BiH officials, including the US Ambassador to BiH, representatives of the international financial institutions, and finance ministers.

Europa.ba