15th Congress on Female Entrepreneurship in the Adriatic-Ionian Area - 15 Aprile 2026, Mostar
On 15 April 2026, the Secretary General of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta, took part in the 15th Congress on Female Entrepreneurship in the Adriatic-Ionian Area, held in Mostar in the framework of the Mostar International Economic Fair.
The Congress, organized by the Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers of Commerce (Forum AIC) in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, represents a well-established platform aimed at promoting and strengthening women’s entrepreneurship across the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region.
Bringing together policymakers, institutional representatives, Chambers of Commerce, business leaders and entrepreneurs, the event provided an important opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss concrete measures to foster a more supportive and inclusive environment for women-led businesses. The programme featured an opening institutional session followed by thematic panels focusing on policymakers’ perspectives, the role of Chambers of Commerce and support organisations, and initiatives to promote women entrepreneurship, concluding with a roundtable on best practices.
Ambassador Castellaneta intervened in the opening session alongside several high-level representatives, including Joze Tomaš, President of the Forum AIC, Marko Šantić, President of the Mostar Economic Fair, Vojin Mijatović, Deputy Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dragan Čović, First Deputy Speaker of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In his remarks, Ambassador Castellaneta reaffirmed the strong commitment of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative to supporting the European integration process and EU enlargement, underlining the importance of inclusive regional cooperation. He stressed the need to further involve civil society, economic actors, enterprises and Chambers of Commerce in the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR).
He also highlighted the importance of fostering dialogue and cooperation across the Western Balkans, supporting unity and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ensuring that women entrepreneurs are fully integrated into regional development processes.
The participation of the AII was warmly welcomed by the organisers and participants, who expressed their appreciation for the Initiative’s continued engagement in supporting civil society and promoting a bottom-up approach to regional cooperation.
The Congress once again confirmed its role as a key platform for dialogue, networking and the development of new cooperation opportunities in the Adriatic-Ionian region.