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Activities related to the 11^th Sarajevo Business Forum presented to embassies and consulates

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina held a briefing for representatives of embassies, diplomatic corps and international institutions with reference to the 11^th Sarajevo Business Forum 2022. The meeting was attended by more than 30 ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps in B&H with main objective to get familiar with activities related to preparation for the largest business investment conference in the region.

Mr. Ahmet Halilović, Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&H, addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of the Sarajevo Business Forum for connecting business and investment in B&H and regional countries with investors from around the world. "Sarajevo Business Forum was organized for the first time in 2010 and since then it has been traditionally held as the largest business and investment conference in Southeast Europe. This conference links businesses and investors from around the world. It is also a platform for business opportunities, networking and connecting entrepreneurs in Southeast Europe,” Mr. Halilović pointed out.

This year, the Sarajevo Business Forum will be held on May 11^th and 12^th in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The conference is expected to be attended by a large number of entrepreneurs and investors from all over the world, with main aim to attract new investments to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to the Western Balkans. The focus of this year's Sarajevo Business Forum is the promotion of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country suitable for nearshoring and production in this region.

Tanja Milašinović-Martinović, Head of the Department for Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of B&H, emphasized the interest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support the organization of this event.

"We have undertaken a number of activities to facilitate successful organization of the 11^th SBF, in cooperation with Bosna Bank International, which is the main organizer. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a coordination team for this event, and the Department of Economic Diplomacy is responsible for coordinating all activities within the 11^th SBF. We are extremely satisfied with the support of B&H diplomatic missions and embassies regarding this event” said Ms. Milašinovic-Martinović.

The topic of this year's Forum is "Nearshoring - a perspective for the region", in line with a main objective - to postion B&H as a good business destination. Nearshoring is a process that involves the transfer of production from distant countries to B&H, and this could be a significant opportunity for the development of the domestic economy.

Nedžad Gušić, BBI’s Management Board member, presented the activities and agenda of this year's Sarajevo Business Forum, highlighting entrepreneurs from the region will have the opportunity to organize B2B meetings and presentations with business partners and investors from around the world.

“SBF is a platform where we can see everything that B&H and the region can offer to business partners and investors. The number of participants, partners and investors of the Forum is doubling, and this year we expect even a greater response. Sarajevo Business Forum always displays Bosnia and Herzegovina in its best light” Gušić said.

“Over 80% of foreign investors stated that they would make the decision to invest in BH again, and it is important to emphasize the fact that no investor in BH has lost its investment so far, which makes us a stable country for attracting new investments.” Gušić added.

Sarajevo Business Forum (SBF) is an annual business and investment conference organized by Bosna Bank International (BBI) in cooperation with BBI’s shareholders: Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB), Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) and under the Patronage of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the support of the BH Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Strategic Partner – Ministry of Economy of the Sarajevo Canton.

This year, the Sarajevo Business Forum will collaborate with USAID Tourism project in B&H in the field of the tourism sector, which is one of the key sectors at upcoming SBF program. In addition, all municipalities and cantons in B&H will have the opportunity to present their local projects at forthcoming SBF.

The first day of the conference will be organized in the B&H Parliament, where participation of numerous business and political leaders from the region and the world is expected, with the second day to be reserved for business meetings, presenting and promoting regional and domestic projects to business partners and investors. Online registration of participants, project applications and nominations for SBF business awards are open and available at: sarajevobusinessforum.com.