SOURCE: Bljesak.info
The Mostar Fair of Economy will open on April 16, and high-level delegations from Serbia and Croatia, led by presidents and prime ministers, are expected to attend, said today the director of the Mostar Fair of Economy, Dalfina Bošnjak.
Bošnjak emphasized that 800 exhibitors from 30 countries around the world will be present at the 25th Mostar Fair, which will last until April 20, and that Croatia is the partner country.
“In addition to individual exhibitors, many are here through their joint stands, that is, country stands, among which are Hungary, Serbia, Israel, Turkey, Italy, and Austria,” Bošnjak said at a press conference, noting that all these countries continue to come to the fair through municipalities, chambers and agencies.
She stated that the Mostar Fair has raised the bar because it also has a conference segment where topics important for the economy of BiH and the whole world will be discussed, which she believes attracts exhibitors.
She added that exhibitors want to participate not only as exhibitors, but also through the conference segment because various topics important for BiH and the whole world have been prepared, and there will also be a large number of panelists.
“The Mostar Fair filled all its spatial capacities two months ago. Now we are working on the organization without stress. Our event also has a competitive spirit and exhibitors have large and beautiful stands, as well as strong support from the Fair in organizational and marketing terms,” Bošnjak said, emphasizing that the Mostar Fair is not only the best in BiH but also in the wider region.
Bošnjak added that one team has existed for more than 20 years, and every year we renew the young team that comes with fresh ideas.
”I think that experience and youth are something that gives the fair its reputation as the best, not only in Mostar and BiH but also beyond. At the beginning we had some teething problems. The development of the economy 25 years ago was very poor, then we were hit by an economic crisis that lasted a long time, and here it lasted about 10 years. Then we started, then the pandemic hit us, we did not work for two years and now we have come out proudly and with our heads held high,” said Bošnjak.
The Ambassador of Croatia to BiH, Ivan Sabolić, said that the Fair should be opened this year by the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković.
“The Fair represents one of the most significant economic events in this part of Europe, but it is also a meeting place that contributes to cooperation within BiH, as well as across the region,” Sabolić said.
He added that 42 companies from Croatia will participate in the Fair, and that this year they will also present themselves at the joint stand of the Croatian Chamber of Economy on about 400 square meters.
“Croatia is an important strategic partner of BiH in both political and economic terms, part of a single economic area. BiH is an important trading partner. Trade in goods in 2023 amounted to four billion euros, and Croatia is one of the main partners of BiH, and vice versa. Croatia is first in imports to BiH and fourth in exports,” Sabolić said.
He emphasized that Croatia’s investments in BiH by the end of 2023 amounted to 1.4 billion euros, which ranks BiH second in Croatia’s total investments in the world, while BiH’s investments in Croatia amounted to 632 million euros.
He added that around 200 companies from Croatia operate in BiH, and for three years now the Croatian business club has also been active, founded with the aim of gathering and strengthening cooperation between business entities from Croatia and BiH.
“All this testifies to the importance of interstate cooperation,” Sabolić said, adding that Croatia strongly and continuously encourages BiH’s European path, which is important not only for political but also economic development, because, as he says from his own experience, membership brought growth in employment and export productivity.
The President of the Chamber of Economy of the Federation of BiH, Marko Šantić, said that the Chamber has been organizing the conference segment at the Fair for eight years, thus contributing to the quality of the fair and its international reputation. “This year we will have the conference EU perspectives for BiH and the experiences of Croatia, which we are organizing with the Croatian Chamber of Economy,” Šantić announced and added that the trend of economic exchange is always growing and says that it will be the same when BiH joins the EU countries.
Mija Martina Barbarić spoke about the accompanying and entertainment content, stating that the Mostar Fair will be the center of the region, and that numerous conferences and business meetings will be held during the fair days.
According to her, pre-fair events will also be held, such as a tourism fair, a wine fair, an IT technology fair, then there will be two fashion days, makeovers will also be done, which are already underway and for which there was great interest, as well as a music-entertainment program featuring local musicians, then there will also be a fair quiz, and numerous after-parties promoting domestic venues.
The organizers invited businesspeople and citizens to visit the Fair, noting that ticket prices remain the same, at five BAM per person, and two BAM for group visits.
