Political representatives of Bosniaks from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo gathered today in Sarajevo at a meeting on the topic “Position and status of Bosniaks in the region”, which was organized by the President of People and Justice and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Elmedin Konakovic.
Konaković stated that they discussed European integration, as a common interest of Bosniaks in the region, while respecting the territorial integrity of all countries in the region, and that they agreed to meet at least twice a year.
Usame Zukorlić, president of the Party of Justice and Reconciliation from Serbia, addressed the journalists after the meeting, who emphasized the importance of such gatherings.
“Our meetings will result in agreements, mutual support, and cooperation. As a Bosniak nation, we have many problems that we have to solve, and that is our topic. We don’t have any topics, nobody’s assemblies and other types of gatherings, nor did we treat that issue with respect at this meeting,” added Zukorlić.
Emilija Redžepi, the Vice-President of the Government of Kosovo, also assessed that they had a good and constructive meeting with all the political leaders within BiH who responded to the meeting and from the region.
“As someone who is the initiator of our joint declaration on connecting Bosniaks in the region and as someone who is a participant in the whole process with the message of peace, stability, security and harmony, common coexistence with all national and ethnic groups wherever we Bosniaks live, today I I am here to support Konaković’s initiative, because I believe that as political representatives of Bosniaks, no matter where we live in the Western Balkans region, we have an obligation to our people to be united and united in matters of national identity, our culture, tradition, and religion,” she pointed out.
Redzepi adding that some of the important issues for Bosniaks in Kosovo are related to the population census and the abolition of the visa regime.
Sevlid Hurtić, Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized the importance of such gatherings for discussing all current issues, adding that he believes that other parties will join this initiative.
“We also talked about the fact that the Bosnian language is recognized in Serbia, but not in the RS entity, and we will try to talk to all actors to solve this big problem, just as we are asking for it to be solved in some cantons where Serbs do not have the right to the Serbian language. or Croats in Croatian,” Hurtić singled out.
The Vice President of Republika Srpska Ćamil Duraković said that it was an honor for him that Bosniaks from the region and surrounding countries had come here.
“Bosniaks live hard in the RS, I also said as a Srebrenica resident that the test of any Bosniak unity could be tested on unity in the RS, by meeting at a joint meeting and agreeing on one vital issue, which is the candidate for of the head of the Municipality of Srebrenica. It is devastating to talk about any kind of unity, and today we have three, four or more candidates proposed by the pro-Bosnian parties,” said Duraković, adding that he presented this problem at today’s meeting.
The second problem he talked about concerns the attitude towards that group.
“Certain party leaders accused these party leaders who gathered here today that they do not have the legitimacy to hold such meetings. I’m sorry that this attempt was thwarted, but our picture here shows that we want to do something,” Duraković added.
The President of the People’s European Union, Nermin Ogrešević, emphasized that in the future, a Bosniak member of the Presidency should be invited to the meeting.
“We have a thorny road ahead of us, we cannot condemn those who did not come, we must work to unite Bosniaks. If we are patient in this process, I think we can do a lot,” said Ogrešević, Federalna writes.