Politicians should stay away from business and let businessmen do what they do best, the head of the EU Delegation in Bosnia, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, said at the Sarajevo Business Forum on Wednesday.

The Forum is an annual gathering where businessmen have the opportunity to learn about local business and investment opportunities.

“This country, as well as the region, is getting closer to the European Union. There is an opportunity and the interest is bigger than in previous years,” he said.

The EU expressed in 2003 its interest in letting the Western Balkans in, Wigemark said, „and in less than a month, we will have a summit in Sofia (Bulgaria), where we will talk about the future of EU countries and the countries of the Western Balkans.”

The focus of this meeting will be on connecting regional economies.

Wigemark said the future of Bosnia and the region lies in developing and maintaining better relationships and in disregarding the borders that were set up 25 years ago, following a bloody war.

Bosnia is going through an ambitious process of structural reforms, and it made a lot of progress throughout the past three years, he said.

“Important decisions were made. The condition the financial system is in is better than ever, and commercial banks are making remarkable profits in the country,” he said.

According to the EU representative, the interest rate in the country has never been lower, export has increased, and the business climate has been brought to a point where such progress was made possible. But the country still has some bureaucratic barriers, he said.

“Border issues need to be solved, as having 24-hour waiting periods at the border is unacceptable. We speak of an EU without borders, where people have their nationality, religion, culture and identity, but we all work together,” he said.

„We all need to work together and help in the establishment of investment opportunities,” Wigemark said.

“I don't blame politicians here, but politicians should stay away from business and let businessmen do what they are good at. This rule applies in the entire world,” he said.