Local Community Takes Initiative
Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Khaldoun Sinno visited Orašje on 1 June and hosted the final debate on the role of local communities in the process of EU integration, organised within the ‘Local Community Takes Initiative’ project by the EU Special Representative in BiH.
“As a city in the north-eastern part of the country, bordering Croatia and the EU, Orašje has an extraordinary growth potential with numerous opportunities to access the EU market more easily”, Sinno said.
He noted that debates like this were organised in fourteen local communities across BiH so far.
“We are here to highlight the importance of local government in creating business environment but also to encourage the citizens of BIH do participate actively in the process of EU integration because it will benefit the local communities most”, Sino said.
Ambassador of France to BiH Guillaume Rousson also pointed to the importance of local communities in the process of EU integration.
“We came here to talk with the citizens of Orašje about concrete ways of economic development in local community and cooperation with the EU and its Member States”, Ambassador Rousson said.
President of the Association of Business Women of BiH Aida Zubčević also emphasized huge potential of Orašje and Posavina Region for development of women entrepreneurship.
“We have some extraordinary, brave and hard-working women here and they influence economic empowerment of the whole community”, Zubčević said.
Following the debate, participants had the opportunity to visit the informative-education fair organised by EU co-funded projects which are directly contributing to economic and sustainable development of local communities including Local Integrated Development (LID) funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP and EU ProLocal – the Programme for Local Self-Government and Economic Development in BiH funded by the EU and German Government, implemented by the GIZ.
Within the “Local Community Takes Initiative” project, the Office of the EU Special Representative organised debates in 14 local communities across the country with more than 1500 participants. Over 20 local and regional experts participated in the project and discussed with citizens the advantages and challenges of the EU integration process.
