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Mr Maurer at EFTA Seminar — Ambassador, Heinrich Maurer holds speech at EFTA Seminar in Sarajevo FDFA

While addressing the participants, the Ambassador stressed the opportunities of the new Free Trade Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to promote trade relations with EFTA member states which all have well performing economies and consumer markets with a high purchasing power. “The Free Trade Agreement is an important milestone for the benefit of the economies of our countries. It creates new trade and investment opportunities on both sides”, Maurer said.

Maurer referred to the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO) that is implemented in BiH, preparing companies to meet EU market needs and to win the new markets. The conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement constitutes also a significant additional incentive for investments, according to Maurer, who made a reference to the Swiss Start-up Fund program through which Swiss investors get supportive loans in transition countries like BiH.

Maurer assessed the time of the entering into force of the Free Trade Agreement as timely due to the new momentum in BiHs integration process into the EU. “Switzerland strongly supports BiH’s efforts towards European integration and therefore hopes that the new EU initiative and the implementation of the “Compact for Growth and Jobs” as one of its centerpieces becomes successful. The focus on economic and social measures will hopefully lead soon to concrete results so that the words of the responsible leaders in BiH will follow deeds, Maurer said.

The seminar to promote free trade was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, EFTA Secretariat and the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the premises of Foreign Trade Chamber in Sarajevo. Another EFTA seminar will be held in Banja Luka on 19 February.