In the unusual atmosphere in the UNESCO’s protected area of the old town of Mostar, the final night of the event “Mostar does not forget its friends” was held in Mostar.
On the anniversary of the reconstruction of the Old Bridge, international peace award “Mostar Peace Connection” was awarded to the former French President Jacques Chirac, the post-war European administrators of Mostar – Sir Martin Garrod, Hans Koschnick and Ricard Perez Casado, former Director General of UNESCO – Federico Mayor Zaragoza and the Chief Prosecutor of The Hague Tribunal – Serge Brammertz. Award “Mimar mira (Peace builder)” was given to this year’s winners: Vahid Halilhodzic, Senad Hadzifejzovic and Sergio Sotric.
Besides the awards, “The Mostar Declaration of Peace” was established due to the efforts of those working on the preservation of peace and stability in this region. It was signed last night by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Denis Zvizdic and his guest, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milo Dukanovic.
The event started by joint crossing of the Old Bridge and the symbolic throwing of flowers into Neretva River in order to pay the tribute to all victims of war.
In his opening speech to guests, director of the Center for Peace, Safet Orucevic, said: Working on peace and reconciliation is sometimes a lot more difficult than a war. The pain of reconciliation is sometimes much stronger and bigger than all the pains of the war. But our generation is obliged to endure the pain for the sake of new generations. Even today, many wounds are still open, many victims are waiting for justice. However, despite everything, we do not have the right to stop the process of reconciliation, we have no right to return to the past because that would be the way to a new tragedy for our people.”
The Prime Minister of Montenegro said that he is honored to be in the company of people who are investing serious efforts in order to restore confidence in the possibility of coexistence in Mostar.
“The reconstructed bridge is a symbol of efforts that all citizens of this city have invested in the post-war period in order to restore values and to strengthen confidence in the multi-ethnicity. Montenegro and BiH are the first former republics of Yugoslavia which have signed the agreement on border delimitation. These two countries are continuously developing good cooperation and friendship and they are becoming a good example for mutual life in the region,” said Dukanovic.
The Center for Peace was thanked by the families of posthumous laureate Hans Koshnick and Sir Martin Garrod, who dedicated their life time to build peace. Daughters of Sir Garrod read their speech in the Bosnian language and concluded: For our father, you were never just a people who live in a distant country; you were never a small country that was heard by only a few people; you have never been just a country torn by the war. You were then and you are still – people.”
(Source: klix.ba)
