Members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić and Denis Bećirović, organized a solemn reception in the Sarajevo City Hall last night on the occasion of BiH Independence Day, which was attended by a large number of people from political, cultural and religious life, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps.
This year a large number of rescuers from the FBiH Civil Protection Administration and the Mountain Rescue Service attended the reception. They participated in multi-day operations to rescue victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6. Those gathered in the City Hall paid tribute to the thousands who died in that terrible disaster.
In his address, Komšić thanked rescuers in particular, stating that Bosnia and Herzegovina is proud of them because although everyone sympathized with the tragedy in Turkey and Syria, they were the ones who went there and tirelessly searched for those who survived.
He then referred to the values of Independence Day, assessing that the struggle for independence and sovereignty is still ongoing and the outlines of that struggle in recent years are visible because BiH is now not only faced with the greater-state aspirations of its neighbors and their attempts to divide BiH but also with the foreign intervention that now wants to introduce an embargo on democracy just as it was imposed on weapons during war.
“But it is good because now we finally know who is truly in favor of independence and and who thinks that our legislation should be decided by foreigners and the governments of neighboring countries. Now we know who we can count on in the current and future struggles for independence. We do not intend to give up the fight for independence,” he emphasized.
Nobody who has won their freedom gives it up voluntarily, said Komšić, although sometimes it seems that they would leave us alone if we gave up our independence, but they wouldn’t, they would only persecute us even worse.
Another member of the Presidency, Denis Bećirović, also addressed the gathering, reminding them of the path taken by BiH until gaining independence, but also immediately after that March 1, 1992. He stated that even today rights of the citizens of BiH are threatened, but despite all efforts, it is not possible to conquer the state because BiH has always had its sons and daughters who will protect it.
“Because of irresponsible individuals who interpret the principle of self-determination without arguments, I remind you that the Badinter Arbitration Committee answered the question of what self-determination is, that it should be understood in a territorial sense, and not in a strictly ethnic sense,” added Bećirović.
He claims that we can see on the political scene once again followers of the ideology of the former president of Serbia, Slobodan Milošević because they do not accept the fact that the principle of self-determination is in permanent conflict with the principle of political independence of existing countries in the world. After all, if everyone resorted to this, the territorial borders of many countries would be threatened.
On March 1, Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrates Independence Day, a national holiday that cherishes the memory of the historic referendum held 31 years ago when the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina overwhelmingly declared for a sovereign and independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, a state of equal citizens and peoples in which all rights and freedom will be enjoyed, without discrimination on any basis, Fena reports.
