Sven Alkalaj, the Minister for Foreign Relations told the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) that he and his Bahrain counterpart Minister for Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa have agreed to prepare an agreement on abolishing visa between the two countries.
He called it a step in the right direction. “It will allow and facilitate business people to travel back and forth without wasting time helping the enhancement of business. We have initiated these agreements and it is expected to be completed in the next few months. This agreement is expected to be completed by spring of 2012,” he added.
The minister said the two countries can help each other in developing the economic base of each other. Bahrain could promote investments, bring investors to Bosnia Herzegovina and also work together in many different fields.
Alkalaj said he held meetings with the Economic Development Board on attracting investments to his country. “I like to see the roadmap how we proceed and we are looking for investments in infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and agriculture. These are the major sectors, but there are also other sectors,” he added.
The EDB will be in Bosnia Herzegovina to explore the possibilities of investing in projects that are up for privatization and make a closer step for closer relations between the two countries, said the minister.
As for investment from Bosnia into Bahrain, the foreign minister said that his country was new and so the quantity of investment might not be huge, “but all the same we like to invest where there is an opportunity. We look to working with willing partners in Bahrain in executing projects here. We like to bring the expertise we have in energy where we have huge experience,” he said.
The minister said that he looked to possibilities of enlarging trade – especially in furniture manufacturing and other sectors where there could be mutual interest.
Turning to labour, the minister said he saw a lot of investment flowing into Bosnia and using its labour force, which he called well organized, knowledgeable and very competitive in cost.
Looking into Bahrain’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU, Alkalaj said Bosnia could help in Bahraini goods flowing into the EU using Bosnia Herzegovina as a hub. “We have an association with the European Union allowing our goods entry into the EU without a tax. That market is worth 20 million to 30 million people – a sizeable market for distributing any goods,” the minister said.
Bosnia’s goods – for example Halal food products, furniture, machinery the focus is on SME machinery, and also energy machinery, he added.
The trade ties between the two countries, he said, are insignificant. But Bahrainis do invest in commercial complexes in Bosnia with Saudi companies, said the foreign ministry head. “We expect these figures to rise after the road show in Bosnia Herzegovina. Our companies participate in the international fairs held in Bahrain,” he added.
Look at the similarities between the two countries of Bahrain and Bosnia Herzegovina; the minister said that both these countries are young democracies, small countries and two of a kind with a big future. “We believe that working together we can achieve a lot. Countries like ours are interested in working together, in resolving some of the world’s important issues because of the excellent political relations between the two countries and the fact that Bosnia is a member of the Security Council,” said.
He added that his visit was to jumpstart a good relation at all levels.
He called his visit to Bahrain ‘a historic one’ for either country. “This is the first visit of any high ranking politician or political entity from Bosnia Herzegovina to Bahrain. I invited Bahrain’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa to visit the country,” said the minister.
In another five years there could be a mission here, he said and added there were hopes for more frequent visits. “Today we signed a memorandum of understanding between the two ministries in consultation of the major foreign policy issues in the world. Second we will soon be signing in Bosnia Herzegovina a finalization on the protection and promotion of investment, avoiding double taxation.”
The MoU, he said, was on how to work within the two ministries, consultation at all levels with consultation once a year in either country, improving bilateral relations, joint positioning on major multilateral issues of the world to promote the right issues and to upgrade consular and other diplomatic affairs.
Turning to parliamentary relations, the foreign minister said he met with Ali Saleh Al Saleh, President of the Shura Council and Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Dhahrani, the Speaker of the Parliament and agreed to have friendship relations and exchange visits and discuss parliamentary procedures and building democracy.
The people to people cooperation, however, was looking better and it was expected that Bosnians would come to Bahrain and set up base here.
“We like to cooperate in culture and sport. We have a movie festival and music festival, culture festival and we also like to promote Bosnia culture here. One good element here is that people in Bosnia Herzegovina will never forget Bahrain’s assistance to our country in our difficult days during the war. So people of Bahrain are cherished,” he said.
Arts bring in more on culture and development of civilization. Culture knows no borders. Art is the ultimate way of bringing nations together, the minister said.
Describing a meeting he had with the parliament members in Bahrain Ali Derazi, head of the Parliament committee on Economic and Financial Affairs said, “The main point of the meet was opening a new channel for better relationship in tourism and financial exchange.
Calling the body language a very positive one, he said, there were plans to start a banking relationship.
The relationship is beginning healthy and looking forward, said Al Dhahrani. “We look to visiting them and knowing them more in enhancing relationship between Bahrain and Bosnia,” he said.