The EU Twinning Project “Support for the Implementation of the BiH Integrated Border Management (IBM) Strategy and Action Plan” was launched at a conference in Sarajevo on Monday.

The project, which will run for the next 24 months, is jointly funded by the European Union in the amount of 1,425,000 Euros from IPA funds, and the BiH Ministry of Security in the amount of 75,000 Euros. The Austrian Agency for European Integration and Economic Development will arrange for qualified and experienced experts to implement the project.

Boris Iarochevitch, Charge d’ Affaires of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that the goal of the project is for BiH to have open but secure borders, and to use Twinning Projects to build partnership and cooperation with EU Member States.

“The European Union has invested several million Euros in border security in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and this is one of the areas where BiH showed progress in 2010,” Iarochevitch said.

He said the progress that has been made in border security played a role in securing visa-free travel to the EU, as this was one of the conditions for relaxing visa requirements. He added that the EU will continue to support efficient and secure border management as well as better implementation of the BiH Integrated Border Management Strategy and Action Plan.

Austrian Ambassador to BiH Donatus Koeck pointed out that the improvement in BiH border management is also a benefit for the EU, and he said Austria has had positive experience of twinning projects as it has realized around 300 such projects so far.

The current project involves all the services that provide border security: the BiH Border Police, the BiH Indirect Taxation Authority, the BiH Veterinary Office and the Border Inspectorates operated by the BiH Federation, Republika Srpska and Brčko District.

“This is an opportunity for the representatives of these services to enhance their knowledge and experience by learning from experts from Austria,” said BiH Security Minister Sadik Ahmetović.

Twinning is one of the instruments of technical assistance offered by EU Member States to countries that are seeking membership, in order to help them make progress.