Minister Dedić with Swiss Embassy representatives to discuss water supply projects

Federal Minister of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry Šemsudin Dedić met today with the representatives of the Swiss Embassy headed by the newly appointed cooperation director Mr. Siroco Messerli.

The meeting was focused on the water sector projects financed by the Swiss Government and implemented in cooperation with the towns and municipalities of the Federation of BiH and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry.

– We owe a debt of gratitude to the Swiss Government for their immense contribution in funding the water supply and sanitation projects in the municipalities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have directly contributed to the improvement of living conditions of people. It is now our intention and wish to resume this cooperation and further strengthen our partnership, said minister Dedić.    

The planned activities on the modernization of water services sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina were also discussed, as the Swiss SECO will participate with its grant co-funding in the WB-funded Water Services Modernization Program. Aside from this grant support, the Swiss Government also provides considerable financial and expert support to the MEG Project (Phase I), the Water Supply System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Projects in Zenica and Tuzla and the Waste Water Collection and Treatment Project in Zenica.  

Presenting the results achieved so far and the planned activities, Mr. Messerli confirmed that the Swiss side will continue supporting this sector, especially keeping in mind the growing, climate change-induced, challenges. He also stressed the need for the infrastructure investments to be accompanied by the much needed regulatory and institutional reforms so as to ensure reliability and improvement of the water supply services for people, while strengthening the capacities and sustainability of the water supply companies.