Local Community Takes Initiative

The ninth debate on the local economic and sustainable development within the ‘Local Community Takes initiative’ project was held today in Višegrad.

As the host of the debate EU Ambassador to BiH Lars-Gunnar Wigemark talked with the local entrepreneurs, farmers, civil society representatives and other citizens. He expressed satisfaction with the visit to this municipality, pointing to its extraordinary development potential, especially in the sector of renewable energy sources.

“It is a great pleasure for me to have an opportunity to speak with the citizens, those who participate in improving the life of local communities, such as Višegrad because we can do a lot on the BiH’s EU path when we work together”, Ambassador Wigemark said.

German Ambassador Christiane Hohmann also joined the debate and noted that the EU and its member state are very committed to BiH’s progress and its accession to the European family.

Most of the participants focused on the issues of access to the EU funds and how to prepare for demanding EU procedures regarding projects.

Ambassadors Wigemark and Hohmann visited the Memorial Classroom of Nobel prize-winning author Ivo Andrić after the debate.

Following the debate, participants had an opportunity to visit the informative-education fair organised by the EU co-funded projects which are directly contributing to economic and sustainable development of local communities including Local Integrated Development (LID) funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP and EU ProLocal – the Programme for Local Self-Government and Economic Development in BiH funded by the EU and German Government, implemented by the GIZ.

Within the “Local Community Takes Initiative” project, the Office of the EU Special Representative is holding public debates about the challenges and opportunities of the EU integration process and supplementary programmes in 15 local communities across BiH.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•