Press release: Foreign Secretary visits Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will visit Sarajevo on 5 & 6 April.
The Foreign Secretary is visiting Sarajevo to reiterate the UK’s unwavering support for Bosnia and Herzegovina and to urge the country’s political leaders to put aside ethnic divisions and implement urgent socio-economic reforms to promote prosperity for all its citizens.
During his visit to Sarajevo the Foreign Secretary will meet with BiH’s Presidency, Chair of the Council of Ministers and entity Prime Ministers and Foreign Minister.
The Foreign Secretary will also visit the State Investigation and Protection Agency where he will see how the UK is supporting efforts to prevent terrorism and fight organised crime in the region.
This is part of the UK’s wider support for the Western Balkans. We have spent over £7.5m to improve the business environment, increase stability and strengthen the rule of law, and in 2018 we will host the Western Balkans Summit in London.
Ahead of his visit, the Foreign Secretary said:
The Western Balkans is a key region for the UK. We are committed to playing an active and supportive role.
The UK has invested significantly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We co-launched with Germany an initiative to inject momentum into BiH’s stalling reform process. We believe this process will lead to a stable, secure and prosperous BiH.
During my visit, I will be urging BiH’s political leaders to put ethnic divisions aside and focus on the issues that matter to all citizens in BiH: jobs and economic growth.