KOŠARAC: TOURISM CAN BE ONE OF THE MOST POTENT SECTORS IN STRENGTHENING ECONOMY

VIŠEGRAD, MARCH 25 /SRNA/ - Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac said today in Višegrad that tourism is a potential of this local community and that it can be one of the most potent sectors in strengthening the economy of both this municipality and Republika Srpska.

After a meeting with the mayor of Višegrad Mladen Đurević, where a study on the tourism potential of the municipality was presented, Košarac emphasized that it is visible from this document that there are elements that this local community needs to change, and on which all levels of government should work together.

"I would like to express gratitude to UNDP, which made a significant contribution to identifying all the key strategic points and goals in the development of tourism," Košarac told reporters.

He says that the importance of securing a clear tourism development strategy for the municipality of Višegrad was also acknowledged, as this local community represents the gateway to Republika Srpska, while the institutions of Srpska are working on improving the economy and social stability.

"The joint level, within its constitutional jurisdictions, should also contribute to what would be significant for the development of the economy of Republika Srpska, and thus BiH," said Košarac, who is also the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers.

He emphasized that, given its geographical position and natural resources, Višegrad could become a purely ecological municipality, which is why ecological projects were also discussed at the meeting.

"We want to solve the issue of floating waste, and Minister of Spatial Planning, Construction, and Ecology of Republika Srpska /Bojan/ Vipotnik is working permanently with me to address this issue properly, together with Serbia and Montenegro," stressed Košarac.

He said that it was necessary to define specific steps to help this municipality overcome the challenges of floating waste and landfills.

Košarac has said that it was agreed today to prepare strategic documents related to this area within the next six months, after which discussions will be held on the implementation of the strategic documents through action plans.

"So that we could make significant progress in this way in the field of tourism and environmental protection in a short period of time," emphasized Košarac.

The meeting in Višegrad was also attended by the resident representative of the UN Development Programme /UNDP/ in BiH Renaud Meyer.