Ministerial Panel held in Podgorica

A Ministerial Panel entitled "Responding to climate and environmental challenges in the region", in which the delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina led by Minister Mirko Šarović participated, was held today, 1 April 2016, in Podgorica.

The ministerial panel is the first meeting organized for the countries of the Western Balkans, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro, the Regional Environmental Center (REC), the UNEP Regional Office for Europe, the Environment Agency Austria, Rural Development Working Group, IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the GIZ Open Fund for biodiversity.

 

This meeting represents the first in a series of activities at the ministerial level, and is a part of the activities of the Berlin process in which the focus of activities is placed on infrastructure projects, transport and energy projects, as well as on trade facilitation.

In accordance with the theme and the agenda of the ministerial panel, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mirko Šarović, addressed the collective. He pointed out that this activity confirms commitment to the Berlin process, and supported the draft of the Podgorica Initiative which confirms commitment to addressing environment and climate change issues, and reflects aspirations of the countries of this region to devote full attention to the environment and climate through specific activities.

On the sidelines of the panel Minister Šarović had a meeting with the Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro Branimir Gvozdenović, the Secretary General of the RCC Goran Svilanović and the Executive Director of REC Marta Szigeti Bonifert.
The meetings highlighted the need for further cooperation and connecting countries in the region in addressing environmental and climate change issues, and proposed modalities for future cooperation.