Prime Minister of the Sarajevo Canton Edin Forto talked today with the Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Nancy Eslick about strategic projects in the Canton, including those in the field of energy efficiency, education, environmental protection, e-government, which they plan to realize together, said the SC press service.

Prime Minister Forto also emphasized that the SC Government is investing maximum efforts to procure coronavirus vaccines for the citizens of the canton.

The government, together with the Ministry of Health, has already made and developed an immunization plan against Covid-19 pandemic, which defines the target groups of the population, vaccination strategies, and communication with the public to accept the vaccination.

Eslick informed the Prime Minister that USAID was ready to procure IT equipment, laptops for primary and secondary schools, and it was agreed that a meeting with the Minister of Education Naida Hota-Muminović would be organized next week.

They also talked about the projects of the SC Government in the field of energy efficiency, limiting the use of coal, in order to reduce air pollution. Studies have shown that the biggest polluters are vehicles and individual fireplaces, and heating boilers.

Prime Minister Forto also spoke about the facilities on the mountains Bjelašnica and Igman, which are currently out of use, and for which it is necessary to draft international tenders, all with the aim of investing in tourism and said that USAID's assistance in this project would also be welcome.

-The work of USAID and its strategy is a partnership model, aimed at bringing the state of B&H to a place where foreign assistance will no longer be needed because it will be able to function independently. We call it the path to self-sustainability.

We empower the country to achieve sustainable results at the local level, helping it to mobilize public and private revenues, strengthening local capacities, and accelerating the development driven by companies. This approach nurtures a stable, resilient and prosperous country that relies more on itself and gives priority to lasting partnerships- concluded Director Eslick.