The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jana K. Lolić Šindelková, paid her first official visit to Bijeljina, where she met with the Mayor, Ljubiša Petrović.
 
During the meeting, they discussed development prospects and the potential for cooperation between Bijeljina and the Czech Republic. Mayor Ljubiša Petrović presented the ongoing projects in the city area, as well as the development plan and investment opportunities.
 
The Czech Ambassador emphasised the importance of cooperation with local communities, mentioning the example of the municipality of Teslić, where a partnership with the Czech Development Agency is being implemented to increase the capacity of the local water supply system. According to her, this example could serve as a model for other local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to learn from and apply positive experiences.
 
For Semberija, the continued expansion of the water supply and sewage network is of great importance, particularly the so-called southern water supply ring, which is expected to resolve the water supply issue for about ten villages in that area. Projects in the fields of energy efficiency, environmental protection, air pollution reduction, as well as the city’s gasification and district heating were also discussed.
 
“In the field of energy efficiency, we have completed the first phase of the public lighting reconstruction, during which approximately 4,000 existing bulbs were replaced with LED lighting. Two years ago, we also launched a project to co-finance up to 30 percent of heating system replacement costs by installing heat pumps in households, which has sparked great interest among citizens. In addition, we are working on the possibility of switching the city's district heating system to gas, with the aim of improving energy efficiency and air quality in Bijeljina,” said the Mayor of Bijeljina.
 
He also highlighted the City's particular focus on youth, education, and the culture of dialogue.
 
“People are yearning for a culture of dialogue, as it is the best path to development for any country. When I took office as mayor, I was faced with numerous challenges, including the reduction of crime and corruption. We have operated transparently from day one, which has resulted in constant pressure. A precedent was recently set when I, as Mayor of Bijeljina, was arrested over the awarding of scholarships. No other mayor has been arrested for such a reason. Over the past four years, we have invested around BAM 3.8 million in education, even though it is not our legal responsibility, while the competent ministry invested only BAM 55,000. In addition, we are engaged in ongoing legal battles to prevent the unlawful seizure of public funds resulting from amendments to the Law on the Budget System of Republika Srpska, which have placed an additional financial burden on Bijeljina,” Petrović emphasised.
 
During the meeting, the participants agreed that there are numerous preconditions for development in the fields of tourism, hospitality, and agriculture throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, which should be recognised and enhanced. They also noted that concrete project partnerships with the Czech Embassy will be discussed in the coming period.