Meeting of FIPA with the World Association of the Diaspora of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SSDBiH)

On the occasion of the 8th Congress of the World Association of the BiH Diaspora held in Sarajevo, the Director of the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of BiH (FIPA) Gordan Milinić and management talked with the delegation of the Association, led by the President Hasan Šehović, on improving cooperation and joint activities on attracting foreign investments, as well as on services and assistance that will FIPA provide to investors interested in investing in BiH. 

Bearing in mind that the common goal of FIPA and the diaspora is improving the economic situation in the country through new investment and job creation, and thus improving the living standards of BiH citizens, FIPA will continue to be available to all investors from the diaspora in order to facilitate them start-up in BiH and will follow them through all stages of investment.

The Director pointed out on the importance of the BiH diaspora, considering their significant number abroad, their knowledge and skills, business contacts that they established abroad through their activities and work, contacts with the institutions of the countries in which they are working, as well as the capital and business results for which a large number of them became recognized in the foreign business community. He invited the diaspora representatives to inform their business partners and friends about possibilities for investing in BiH and FIPA which will be at their disposal.

Representatives of the diaspora pointed out among other are the weakness of the economic diplomacy of BiH, which represent an obstacle to efforts to attract more foreign investors in BiH. They also presented several cases where foreign investors from countries where they live, wanted to start business in BiH, but due to the complicated administration they gave up to investing.  

In the previous year SSDBiH has initiated the opening of business clubs bringing together businessmen from the BiH diaspora to jointly discuss investment opportunities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The World Diaspora Association fully supported the work of FIPA and effort to create jobs through foreign investments and to improve the poor economic situation in the country. In addition to finding investors in their ranks, the diaspora will try to engage foreign investors, their friends and partners, and in addition to meetings with diaspora and business forum, it is considering the possibility of organizing a large joint investment conference of FIPA and SSDBiH.