Dr. Lagumdzija – Al Attiyah: Five big companies of Qatar to establish an Investment Fund in Bosnia and Herzegovina



On 14 May, 2014, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina held a bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah during the Sarajevo Business Forum to discuss the realization of an agreement regarding the Qatari investment in B&H reached by the two Ministers at the meeting in April.

Minister Al Attiyah informed Dr. Lagumdzija of the Qatari side’s decision to establish an Investment fund through which five big companies of Qatar are planning to invest in the projects of infrastructure and electro energy sector, as well as banking and other sectors in B&H. The Qatari side will also establish the Friendship Fund in order to provide financial assistance for the youth employment projects. Qatar has already established the Fund in Japan, Tunis and Haiti to finance projects aimed at creating new jobs, primarily for young people.

The interlocutors agreed that all details and activities should be discussed and finalized at the expert level in the next couple of months.

Dr. Lagumdzija participated in the panel discussion: Regional Strategic Outlook that was held on the first day of the International Investment Conference Sarajevo Business Forum 2014.

President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic, former President of the Republic of Slovenia Danilo Turk, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah also took part in this panel discussion.

Dr. Lagumdzija assessed that the regional reconnection, the EU and NATO membership, as well as the rule of law and foreign direct investment represent the instrument for overcoming obstacles facing regional countries and tools for achieving regional strategic objectives.

He particularly emphasized the importance of the regional reconnection for further development of the Balkan region whose three main pillars are cooperation in the field of infrastructure, energy and trade, noting the projects of Corridor Vc, Corridor VIII and Corridor X, Trans-Adriatic and Trans-Ionian Pipeline Projects (TAP/IAP), the South Stream, CEFTA and other bilateral trade agreements.

Dr. Lagumdzija was pleased to have an opportunity to send, in the presence of other participants and eminent business people – guests of Sarajevo Business Forum, positive messages from B&H. In that context he pointed to the reasons why investors should invest in our country and, among other things, it is geostrategic position of our country, stable financial sector, favourable tax and customs system and favourable legal environment for investors.