The Rt Hon James Cleverly, UK Minister for Europe and North America, paid a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) today (16 June), following last month’s visit of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
Minister Cleverly spoke to BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bisera Turkovic, about the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the wider region and Europe, and emphasised the UK’s commitment to peace and stability in the Western Balkans, in the face of Russian malign influence.
He also spoke to a group of politicians from different political parties in BiH about the situation in the country, the need for inclusive, future-focused politics, and the prospects for returning to constructive dialogue.
Minister Cleverly visited the Central Election Commission (CEC) of BiH to get a better insight in challenges this important institution faces ahead of elections in October. He announced a new UK-funded project that aims to help address low levels of public trust in the integrity and fairness of the electoral process.
Minister Cleverly said: “Free and fair elections are essential in any democracy. Citizens deserve a right to choose their representatives. But they need to be assured that their vote won’t be misused. The UK has always been a firm friend of this country, providing concrete support to ongoing reforms, and I’m pleased the UK is able to support free and fair elections by helping the CEC to purchase stamps that will be used to authenticate electoral ballots and thereby reduce voter fraud.”
During his first visit to BiH, Minister Cleverly visited Zenica where he met the leadership of Adriatic Metals, a UK-based company with a mining operation in Vares, alongside leaders of Vares municipality and Zenica-Doboj Canton. The production of predominantly silver and zinc concentrate is expected in early 2023. This year, the Vares Silver Project will be the largest UK direct investment in BiH and, once in full production, it is expected to be one of the largest exporters in BiH.
In line the UK’s commitment to listening to and strengthening the voice of youth, Minister Cleverly met students from the University of Zenica with whom he spoke about the situation in the country, their hopes for BiH’s future and their expectations of their role in it.
Finally, as a big rugby fan, Minister Cleverly will stop by a stadium in Zenica to observe a training session at the Rugby Club “Čelik”, the most successful rugby team in the country which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Minister Cleverly’s visit comes after the Foreign Secretary’s visit last month where she announced an aim to mobilise $100 million of UK-backed investment by 2025, and that the UK would be putting in £2 billion worth of UK export financing for BiH.
