Last night in the National Theatre of Sarajevo, the Day of Europe was marked. This day is celebrated all over Europe as the anniversary of Schuman Declaration from 1950, which set laid the foundations for the EU.
Day of Europe is being celebrated for achievements of the EU, permanent peace, economic cooperation and no-borders system.
Talking to a large number of dignitaries from BiH, ambassador Peter Sorensen, chief of the EU Delegation in BiH and Special Representative of the EU and the host noted that 2013 is marked as the ‘Year of Citizens’.
‘It is appropriate to start this year with wishes and hopes of citizens of BIH, because their wishes and hopes we try to fulfil with joint efforts. As we have heard in numerous polls, their wish is a better life. Most citizens of BiH believe that with the membership in the EU will get better life. Citizens of BiH demand that this country makes progress concerning the European integrations’ said Sorensen.
‘Countries in the region are moving towards the EU. They also make hard compromises. The EU is there to offer financial and political support. We are here to be your partners in reforms and modernisation, we’ll remain here for the period to come. We want BiH to join the EU as soon as possible. Time passes, but in this ‘Year of Citizens’ one must use the partnership that the EU offers to your country’ said Sorensen and gave an award to winner of the competition ‘EU in Art’ – Damir Zirojević.
Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers Vjekoslav Bevanda noted that Robert Schuman laid the foundation of the modern EU sixty three years ago.
Bevanda said that diversity of 27 countries of the EU is the basis for the very strong European bloc and added that the EU can serve as a role model to BiH, to make us see how a union of different peoples can function. If BiH politicians want best for this country, they have to move forward towards the EU.
Bevanda added that BiH must respect rights of all three constituent peoples and minorities in order to secure long-term political, economic and social security, and all other variants but the European lead to political oblivion of BiH.