Ambassadors of France and Slovenia talk to citizens of Šipovo: Being part of the EU means sharing experiences and knowledge

At an “Ask the Ambassador” event which took place on 6 February in Šipovo, within a series of events organised by the EU Info Centre, Ambassador of the Republic of France to BiH, Guillaume Rousson and Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to BiH, Zorica Bukinac, talked about the experiences of their countries, the changes that the EU membership brought to them and the best practices which could be beneficial to BiH’s EU accession process.

The event, brought together over 50 citizens from citizens, high school and university students, and representatives of civil society organizations who had an opportunity to learn how EU membership improved the lives of young people and students in France and Slovenia and how it affected education, employment and overall engagement of youth there.

Addressing the audience, French Ambassador Guillaume Rousson underlined the importance of the link between education system and labour market to ensure employment for young people.

Educational institutions in France talk to employers and open up study programmes for professions that are sought in the labour market. It is estimated that young people need to be more practically prepared for work so there are plenty of practice and internship programmes in France, “said French Ambassador Guillaume Rousson.

Ambassador of Slovenia Zorica Bukinac talked about the best practices BiH could use in the process of joining the EU but also about rights and obligations coming with the EU membership.

For example, in the field of education, European institutions do not impose or prescribe what the education systems of member states should look like, but many EU programmes are geared towards sharing experiences and ideas making us more competitive, “said Ambassador Bukinac, adding that formal, institutional education is important, however, it is not sufficient in itself in the recruitment process.  “Employers in the EU highly value their practical experience and skills”, Ambassador Bukinac explained.

After the presentations given by the Ambassadors of France and Slovenia, the gathered citizens had an opportunity to directly talk to Ambassador on the topics of their interest.

EU Info Centre continues with open talks with EU Member States ambassadors in the coming months. Derventa will host ambassadors of UK and Czech Republic on 20 April while Swedish ambassador will visit Zvornik on 31 May.

Europa.ba