BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ZELJKO KOMSIC HELD RECEPTION FOR PARTICIPANTS OF SREBRENICA INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 7,2007) - The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic hosted a reception in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on the occasion of the Srebrenica Investment Conference that took place yesterday.

President Komsic addressed participants of the session – representatives of governmental and non-governmental sector and international organizations’ representatives and emphasized the need of creating conditions for sustainable return to Srebrenica which, as he said, became known all around the world 12 years ago as a site of genocide.

He added that Bosnia is a small developing country but also a country eager to join the circle of developed countries. In that sense, he told the attendees that now is the opportunity to help the development of Srebrenica for the purpose of its integration to the wider economic space of Bosnia, as well as the Southeastern European region.

President Komsic is of the opinion that it is the right moment for both domestic and foreign investments and that Srebrenica area should become as sustainable as possible.

According to him, it is the moment to focus on the economic development regardless of the current political mist.

”This conference is an opportunity for us to consider all the possibilities and the ways of helping the Srebrenica area in order to achieve a sustainable return, not only through donations, but also through investments aimed to develop industrial and economic capacities”, President Komsic said and called all the parties interested to support those actions.

The guests were greeted by the OHR Envoy for Srebrenica Clifford Bond and the Bosnian Foreign Investment Promotion Agency Director Haris Basic.The International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak and other high officials attended the conference.

The Srebrenica Investment Conference is organized by FIPA and as expected, many investors showed interest for the Conference.

The FBIH Entity Prime Minister Nedzad Brankovic emphasized that the FBIH Entity Government has shown through its own investments that Bosnia is a safe area for investors.

”The FBIH Entity Government started several system activities and we have developed several important laws in the taxation sector. We have also developed an integral public investment program and we also intend to define this area as a special interest region”, Brankovic said.

Purpose of yesterday’s conference, as stated by the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak, is to determine and promote competition economic advantages of the Srebrenica area, in the sense of labour, natural resources and infrastructure. That will be done today transparently.

”Our goal is to turn these advantages into new jobs in Srebrenica and that can be done on the basis of precise information. Srebrenica is special and the events of 12 years ago are tragic for both the municipality and the entire world. However, that fact does not decrease the need of implementation of economic-development based policy. That fact strengthens the urgency of implementation of such policy”, Lajcak said.

He added that regardless of all the political problems in the Bosnian economy, Bosnia is trying to keep up the pace and that the impressive growth rate is a direct sign that investors should show an interest into the area.

Three topics were treated during the conference: “Srebrenica – from Reconstruction to Sustainable Development”, “Business Surroundings – Encouragement for Investors” and “Possibilities of Investments”.