PRESS CONFERENCE

Sarajevo, November 5th, 2009.

Press Release

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sven Alkalaj and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov Hold a Press Conference Following a Meeting

On November 5th, 2009, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sven Alkalaj and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov held a press conference in the MFA of BiH after holding a meeting.

In his statement to the press, Minister Alkalaj said that he was pleased with Minister Lavrov's visit to our country and that relations between the two countries are good and stable, without any outstanding issues. He also emphasized that it is important for Russia to maintain balanced economic cooperation with all parts of BiH.

Both sides emphasized the need to intensify bilateral cooperation, particularly at the economic level and in the field of investment. They also concluded that regular consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs can serve as a foundation for this.

Minister Alkalaj also thanked Minister Lavrov for Russia's support in terms of Bosnia and Herzegovina's election to non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council in the 2010-2011 term.

Lavrov stated that he was pleased to be in Sarajevo, adding that visible progress has been made in BiH since his last visit. He congratulated BiH on being elected to a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council and said that the Russian Federation is willing to work closely with BiH in this important UN body.