KOŠARAC DISCUSSES BiH MEMBERSHIP IN MEDITERRANEAN AGRONOMIC CENTER WITH DI TERLIZZI

SARAJEVO, NOVEMBER 18 /SRNA/ – The Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac said that BiH’s membership in the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) would be of great importance for the country’s agricultural sector.

Košarac held an online meeting today with the director of the Agromediterranean Institute in Bari, Biagio di Terlizzi, during which they discussed BiH’s potential membership in CIHEAM.

He noted that the center was established in 1962 by Southern European countries with the goal of reducing the post-war gap between agricultural practices in Mediterranean and Northern European states.

Košarac reminded that CIHEAM today consists of 13 member states: Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and Turkiye.

Within the center, four institutes operate — in Bari (Italy), Chania (Greece), Montpellier (France) and Zaragoza (Spain), with the headquarters based in Paris.

Košarac emphasized that BiH has excellent cooperation with the Institute in Bari, adding that several joint agricultural projects are already being implemented thanks to this partnership.

He believes that membership in this international center would be highly beneficial for the domestic agricultural sector.

"This includes the exchange of experience, preservation of traditional knowledge, management of natural resources and energy, reduction of agricultural losses and food waste along the supply chain, as well as improvements in the field of food safety", Košarac wrote on Instagram.

He noted that BiH would also benefit in terms of promoting sustainable agriculture and nutrition, advancing Mediterranean diet principles, improving agroecological practices, and gaining other professional and developmental advantages.