Europe Day celebrations across Bosnia and Herzegovina continued with the visit of Ambassador Luigi Soreca, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH to Tuzla on 14-15 May, accompanied by the Ambassador of France to BiH, François Delmas. The visit focused on youth and innovation as foundation of the future of Tuzla and the country as a whole. The Ambassadors also visited projects implemented by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). Justice, truth and reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans are essential elements of achieving the vision of peace and prosperity across Europe envisaged in the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950, now marked as Europe Day. 

“I am pleased to have visited Tuzla along with the French Ambassador François Delmas as part of our Europe Day celebrations. As a hub for industry and innovation, Tuzla stands to gain a lot from progress on the EU path, and further integration in the European Single Market, including through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. It was a pleasure to meet entrepreneurs, as well as young people, to discuss their plans and hopes, and the ways in which progress on the EU path can support these. It was also thought-provoking to visit projects implemented by ICMP, underlining how important it is to address the legacy of the past to achieve a better future. Through partnership, financial assistance, political engagement, and people-to-people cooperation, the EU stands firmly with the citizens of this country,” said Ambassador Soreca following the visit.

Ambassador Soreca and Ambassador Delmas were accompanied by the Minister of the Economy of Tuzla Canton Edin Durakovic for a visit to Tuzla’s Digital Innovation Hub, which has received financial support from the projects “EU 4 Digital SMEs” and “EU 4 Private Sector Development”. The hub demonstrates some of the best examples of innovative solutions for industrial robotics in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EU plays a key role in supporting digital transformation for small and medium enterprises in Bosnia and Herzegovina through financial assistance, mentorship and education. 

The Ambassadors also joined high school students for an EU integration simulation workshop. The interactive workshop allowed the students to learn about the complexities of EU enlargement, policy negotiation and decision-making. Demonstrating impressive levels of knowledge, public speaking skills, critical thinking and diplomacy, the students illustrated that young people have the tools and power to be the drivers of change and progress in the EU integration.

Ambassador Soreca and Ambassador Delmas also paid a visit to find out more about the work of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), including the Podrinje Identification Project and the Identification Coordination Facility, which are crucial to ICMP’s efforts to assist the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accounting for missing persons from the 1990s conflicts. To date, the European Union has provided 15 million euros to support ICMP and the BiH authorities in strengthening their capacities to search for and identify missing persons in the country.

Europe Day activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to highlight the strong connections of the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina in guaranteeing a secure and prosperous future for the country and underlining that the country is always in the heart of Europe. 

For more information on Europe Day activities: www.europehouse.ba