With the support of the Maryland-Bosnia and Herzegovina Exchange Council, the chairman of the BiH Presidency, Željko Komšić, visited Yale University, i.e. the prestigious Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, at the beginning of the week. This visit was realized as part of the Peace Initiative of Yale University, and the co-directors of the program, professors Catherine Panter-Brick and David Simon, who presented the results of the study of the state of everyday peace in BiH at the University of Sarajevo in November.
Komšić spoke very honestly about the view of the current geopolitical order from the point of view of a small country like Bosnia and Herzegovina, stressing that it is necessary to update foreign policy goals based on realism but also constant dedication to universal values and international law.
“The future of my country does not lie in becoming a pawn, but a credible, safe and reliable actor, dedicated to political sovereignty and integrity, and we are responsible for our states. Bosnia and Herzegovina reminds us that pluralism is not a weakness,” said Chairman of the BiH Presidency Željko Komšić, among other things.
After the lecture, Komšić spoke with the guests, and the conversation was moderated by David Simon. After the official part, Komšić stayed in conversation with a small group of peace studies students.
The entire visit is the result of the Exchange Council’s continuous efforts to improve civil cooperation between institutions in the USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a special emphasis on the cooperation of academic institutions.
Also, as part of these activities, tonight Chairman Komšić will attend a gala dinner in Annapolis, the capital of Maryland, which will mark two years of the Council and 22 years of state partnership between Maryland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
