Vienna Economic Talks – Sarajevo Meeting successfully took place under the Patronage of H.E. Dr. Nikola Spiric, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Patron of Vienna Economic Forum.

Dr. Erhard Busek, Former Vice-Chancellor of the Republic of Austria and President of Vienna Economic Forum and Secretary General Amb. Dr. Elena Kirtcheva welcomed more than 200 participants from 21 countries and also from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Österreichische Kontrollbank AG, and World Bank.

In his speech, Prime Minister Dr. Nikola Spiric said, “I am convinced that regional cooperation will accelerate path of the countries of the Region towards European Union (EU), in political, in economic and in infrastructural and in any other sense”

Impulse statements were given by H.E. Mr. Dragan VRANKIC, Deputy Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Ambassador Dr. Valentin Inzko, the High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Mr. Kemal KOZARIC, Governor of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Member of the Governors Committee of Vienna Economic Forum.

Around 70 companies from the region and 20 companies from Austria participated, with Members of Vienna Economic Forum, including influential Austrian investors like Bären Batterie, CMS Reich-Rohrwig-Hainz, Erste Group Bank AG, GfK Austria, Lansky Ganzger Partner, Siemens, Telekom Austria AG, mobilkom austria AG, UNIQA, Vienna Insurance Group, Volksbank International AG, Wolf Theiss, and also Dr. Akkan Suver, the President of Marmara Foundation of Turkey, partner of Vienna Economic Forum.

During two days of intense discussions, Plenary Sessions and exchange of experience the topics were:

  • Investment Opportunities in Infrastructure, Finance and Energy Sector                            
  • Investment Possibilities and Concrete Projects in Diverse Economic Sectors in BiH. Possibilities for Public Private Partnership (PPP)

Secretary General Ambassador Dr. Elena Kirtcheva in her statement mentioned that for further development of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s economy it is very important to meet with the Austrian and other investors from the region, who came to discuss directly the opportunities for cooperation in all these fields, and that the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina gives priority to attracting investments.

The President of Vienna Economic Forum Dr. Erhard Busek stated he is very pleased to see so many interested companies in Sarajevo who wish to install contacts and to exchange experience.

This all provides a good basis for further and more intensive cooperation, and the cooperation is a key word in the concept and in the vision of Vienna Economic Forum.