Minister Košarac with USAID Delegation: Assistance Agreed in Mitigating the Negative Effects of the Coronavirus Epidemic on Tourist Facilities in BiH

Today, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, Staša Košarac, organized a video conference with the representatives of the USAID Mission, headed by the Director for BiH, Nancy J. Eslick, with whom he discussed current topics.

The focus of the conversation was the current epidemiological situation and the consequences that the coronavirus leaves on the local economy. Minister Košarac expressed his gratitude to the USAID Delegation for the humanitarian activities and assistance they provide to citizens and health institutions in BiH in the new circumstances.

According to him, the negative effects of the coronavirus epidemic are leaving a mark on the local economy, with tourism being one of the most affected industries. Emphasizing that this industry is the top sector in BiH, Minister Košarac urged the USAID Delegation and asked for concrete help in mitigating the negative consequences of the coronavirus epidemic on tourist facilities in BiH.

The USAID Delegation informed Minister Košarac that from July, it will implement a project to support tourism in BiH, four times larger than the current projects that this mission is implementing in the Energy Sector in BiH. They expressed readiness for part of the mentioned project to be aimed at repairing the negative effects of the coronavirus epidemic on tourism.

In this regard, Minister Košarac announced that in the coming period he will talk with the entities’ ministers in charge of tourism, and representatives of Tourist Boards in the Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH in order to agree on specific measures to assist tourism, which will be presented to USAID afterwards in order to be incorporated into the mentioned project.

At today's video conference it was also discussed about development of the Energy Sector in BiH, with an emphasis on renewable energy sources. The interlocutors exchanged opinions on the conditions from the Third Energy Package and pointed out the necessity of adopting certain legal solutions. Minister Košarac welcomed the support of the USAID Mission to the activities carried out so far in this context, and emphasized that a solution should be reached on the basis of the positions represented by the relevant entity bodies. He expressed his commitment to articulate USAID capacities for certain needs, as has been the case so far.