UK-Bosnia and Herzegovina Trade and Investment Forum

On 18th April 2013, at Lancaster House, London, Developing Markets Associates and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in association with the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina hosted the UK-Bosnia and Herzegovina Trade and Investment Forum.

This highly successful event was attended by around 200 delegates including key stakeholders and high level representatives from both the public and private sectors.

Opening addresses were given by Atam Sandhu, Chief Executive of Developing Markets Associates; HMA Nigel Casey, UK Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina and HE Mustafa Mujesinovic. HE Dr Zlatko Lagumdzija, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sir Suma Chakrabarti, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development made their official welcomes followed by an historic signing of the finance agreement between the EBRD and Bingo.

The opening session provided an overview of Bosnia and Herzegovina's investment climate and included presentations from Dr Kemal Kozaric, Governor, Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr Jasmin Komic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Science and Technology of the Republic of Srpska, Jelica Grujic, Director of Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FIPA), Mark Arnold, Chief Executive of Sberbank and Sonja Sharevska, Director of ArcelorMittal Zenica. The session was chaired by Karen Lumley, MP, Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There then followed sessions focusing on the work being done and investment opportunities in  Mines and Energy, Infrastructural Development and Manufacturing and Agriculture, Tourism. These sessions included presentations from speakers such as Hon Erdal Trhulj, Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry, Elvedin Grabovica, General Manager of Elektroprivreda Sarajevo, Libor Krkoska, Head of Office of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, Bojan Jojic, Advisor to the Mayor of Prijedor, Enes Cengic, Director of Energoinvest, HE Ermina Salkicevic-Dizdarevic, Deputy Minister of Foreign and Economic Trade, Dr Ismet Kumalic, President of the Foreign Trade Chamber, Lejla Brckalija, General Secretary of the Tourism Association, Belma Colakovic, Chief Economist of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jelena Saric, Head of Office for Local Economic Development and quality Control of Laktasi Municipality, Sanjin Halimovic, Minister for Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Enes Karic, Director of the Motorways Federation, Ismar Alagic, Advisor to the Mayor of Tesank, Alma Kadunic, Head of UK Trade and Investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Robert Knorr, Senior Partner of Mid Europa Partners. The sessions were chaired by HMA Nigel Casey, UK Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Patricia Morris, Baroness Morris of Bolton and Henry Bellingham, Member of Parliament respectively.

The First UK-Bosnia and Herzegovina Trade & Investment Forum

 London, 18th April, 2013

8.00am - 9.00am                 Registration and refreshments

9.00am - 9.10am                 Opening Address
Atam Sandhu, Chief Executive, Developing Markets Associates
HMA Nigel Casey, United Kingdom Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina
HE Mustafa Mujezinović, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Kingdom

9.10am - 9.30am                 Official Welcome
HE Dr Zlatko Lagumdžija, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sir Suma Chakrabarti, President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

9.30am – 11.00am              Setting the scene – ‘Investing in Bosnia and Herzegovina’

Chair – Karen Lumley, MP, Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Dr Kemal Kozarić, Governor, Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Dr Jasmin Komić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Science and Technology of Republic of Srpska
  • Jelica Grujić, Director, Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina – FIPA
  • Mark Arnold, Chief Executive, Sberbank Europe AG
  • Sonja Sharevska, Director, ArcelorMittal Zenica

Q & A session

11.00am -11.30am            Refreshments break 

11.30am – 1.00pm             Investing in Energy and Mining

Chair – HMA Nigel Casey, UK Ambassador to BiH

  • Erdal Trhulj, Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry, of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Elvedin Grabovica, General Manager, Elektroprivreda Sarajevo 
  • Libor Krkoska, Head of Office, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development
  • Bojan Jojić, Advisor to the Mayor of Prijedor
  • Enes Čengić, Director, Energoinvest

 Q & A session

1.00pm – 2.00pm                Networking lunch

2.00pm -3.30pm                 Investing in Manufacturing, Agriculture, Tourism and IT

Chair- Patricia Morris, Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE

  • Ms Ermina Salkičević-Dizdarević, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Dr Ismet Kumalić, President, Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Lejla Brčkalija, General Secretary, Tourism Associations of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Belma Čolaković, Chief Economist, Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina    
  • Jelena Sarić, Head of Office for Local Economic Development and Quality Control of Laktasi Municipality

Q & A session

3.30pm – 4.00pm                 Refreshments break 

4.00pm – 5.15pm                 Investing in Infrastructure Development

 Chair – Henry Bellingham, Member of Parliament

  • Mr Sanjin Halimović, Minister for Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Enes Karić, director, Motorways of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Alma Kadunić, Head, United Kingdom Trade and Investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UKTI)
  • Robert Knorr, Senior Partner, Mid Europa Partners
  • Ismar Alagić, Advisor to the Mayor of Tešanj

Q & A session

5.15pm - 5.30pm                Closing remarks
HE Dr Zlatko Lagumdžija, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina

5.30pm-7.00pm                  Gala Reception