The first leg of the trip will take the delegation to Zagreb. There, Mr Engler will be received by Gordan Jandroković, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski sabor). In addition to discussions at parliamentary level, meetings with members of the executive branch are also planned. The various meetings will focus on political and economic relations between Switzerland and Croatia, current developments in European and security policy, and Switzerland’s contribution to selected EU Member States.
In addition to the official programme in Zagreb, the delegation will visit the Gorski Kotar region. There, it will learn about projects supported as part of Switzerland’s second contribution to selected EU Member States. With a total of CHF 45.7 million, Switzerland is supporting priority areas in Croatia through 2029, including water and wastewater management, research and innovation, civil society and palliative care.
On 7 October, the delegation will travel on to Sarajevo. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the focus will be on bilateral relations, Switzerland’s cooperation programmes, the political situation in the country and the region, and the functioning of state institutions. Since the trip takes place immediately after the parliamentary elections, it offers an opportunity to discuss the political situation and the upcoming formation of a government. In particular, a meeting is planned with representatives of the House of Peoples, the second chamber of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The programme includes various discussions with representatives of local authorities and the business community, as well as an exchange on the political and social diversity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Sarajevo, the delegation will also examine projects in the field of technical and vocational education and training that are supported by Switzerland. To round off their visit, the delegation will travel to Mostar, where, among other things, it will meet with members of the Swiss contingent of the EUFOR Althea mission and receive an update on the security situation in the region.
Mr Engler will be accompanied on this trip by members of the Office of the Council of States: First Vice-President Werner Salzmann (SVP, BE), Second Vice President Mathilde Crevoisier Crelier (SP, JU), as well as Council of States members Thierry Burkart (FDP, AG) and Mathias Zopfi (The GREENS, GL).