Bosnia and Malaysia recognize opportunity for stronger partnership, joint presence in EU market

The conference, organized by the FTC BiH and the Malaysia-Bosnia and Herzegovina Business Council, presented investment and business opportunities in the two countries, with a particular focus on strengthening economic ties, improving trade and developing new forms of cooperation. Particular attention was paid to the food and IT industries, tourism and hospitality, real estate, and the production of medical equipment and services.

Speaking about the potential for strengthening economic ties, Marinkovic emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina offers numerous advantages to foreign investors, including agreements with the European Union, CEFTA, EFTA and Turkey, making the domestic market attractive to companies seeking to do business across Europe.

“We cannot boast of significant foreign trade with Malaysia, but this is precisely an opportunity for us to improve cooperation through joint efforts,” Marinkovic said.

According to him, the forum is an opportunity to open new projects and investments through direct contacts between companies, particularly in the metal-processing and wood industries, pharmaceuticals and information technology.

He added that B2B meetings will be held tomorrow between around 25 Malaysian companies and businesspeople from BiH.

President of the Bosnia and Herzegovina-Malaysia Business Council Tan Sri Mohamed Al Amin said that one of the key objectives of the visit was to find reliable partners and gain a better understanding of the business environment in order to improve investment and trade between the two countries.

He added that Malaysian exports to Bosnia and Herzegovina increased by more than 60 percent in the first half of 2026, confirming the growing interest of Malaysian companies in the BiH market. Al Amin noted that the Malaysian delegation had returned to Sarajevo with concrete results achieved following the first Sarajevo Business Dialogue held in 2024.

“When we came to Sarajevo in 2024, our goal was to explore opportunities for cooperation. Today, we are returning with concrete results. Following that business dialogue, one hotel in the Old Town managed by a Malaysian company has already opened, while another is in the final stages of renovation,” Al Amin said.

He announced that the next step would be the opening of a Malaysian trading house, through which Malaysian food, halal and other consumer products will be presented on the BiH market and throughout the wider region.

He stressed that Malaysia views BiH as an important platform for expanding business toward the Balkan countries and beyond. He added that the Malaysian business delegation comprises around 25 companies from the food industry, IT, healthcare, logistics, education, hospitality and renewable energy sectors.