The EBRD’s Twenty-eighth Annual Meeting and Business Forum was held in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country famed for its natural environment, rich history and extraordinary cultural heritage. This year's theme is Connecting Economies for Stronger Growth.

The event focused on ways to connect economies for strong growth and impact, both in the Western Balkans and beyond. Alumni joined for a programme of lively debate, talks and discussion around a variety of themes and major trends, from boosting small business to the effects of migration on labour markets, the opportunities and pitfalls of tourism and the ways to connect the local and regional to the global economy.

Following successful Alumni receptions at the EBRD Annual Meetings in Warsaw (2014, Tbilisi (2015), London (2016), Nicosia (2017), and at the Dead Sea in Jordan (2018), we were pleased to hold our sixth such event in Sarajevo.

Participants heard from Rafael Szczepaniak, alumnus ('05), and currently Head of Central and Eastern Europe Coverage at UBS, who discussed his role as an 'EBRD Ambassador' promoting business development with Jonathan Charles, EBRD Managing Director, Communications. The Alumni event was opened by Enzo Quattrocioche, EBRD Secretary General and George Krivicky, Chairman of the EBRD Alumni Association.