In the newly built building of the European House of Culture and National Minorities, the Minister of Culture and Sports of Sarajevo Canton Kenan Magoda and the Mayor of Sarajevo Municipality Centar Srđan Mandić signed an annex to the agreement on co-financing the construction project, which will close the financial construction of the building, after which the building was officially opened.
The construction project of this important cultural facility was jointly financed by the Municipality of Centar, the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Canton of Sarajevo, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the City Administration, and an extremely large contribution to the resolution of property-legal relations was made by the Ministry of Justice and Administration of the Canton of Sarajevo, and the Institute for Construction of the Canton Sarajevo.
BAM 2,935,537 has been spent on the construction of this modern building. Most of the funds were provided by the Municipality of Centar, while the project was partly co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and Sports with 500,000 BAM, the Federal Ministry of Finance with 100,000 BAM, and the City of Sarajevo with 50,000 BAM, the Protocol and Press Service of the Canton of Sarajevo announced.
The Minister of Culture and Sports Kenan Magoda said that the construction of this facility represents the unity of diversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is certainly a project of importance for Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I believe that a modern space like this will benefit young people from all over BiH, so that they can use their free time in a quality and useful way. Also, cultural institutions will be able to use the European House for various cultural and artistic events, and I am especially glad that the members national minorities to finally have their own premises for unhindered work,” said Magoda.
Prime Minister Nihad Uk reminded that a few years ago he initiated the construction of such a representative building in the Municipal Council.
“This is the pride of the Municipality, the Canton of Sarajevo, but also of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I congratulate the mayor who completed this process, and this is proof that when several levels of government come together, it is possible to make great undertakings,” said Uk.
The Prime Minister added that “this kind of synergy in a complex administrative state like BiH is actually a recipe for success”.
Mayor Mandić stated that it was possible for the facility to gather young directors and producers within the Sarajevo Film Festival for the next seven days and for young and talented people to use this space.
The representative of the Council of National Minorities, Davor Ebner, emphasized that this is a historic day for members of national minorities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that with the construction and opening of the building, members of national minorities and their associations will get their own office space for the first time.
This facility is located in the Park “Kemal Monteno” on the site of the former Austrian House, across from the Ciglane settlement. The European House of Culture and National Minorities will play an important role in the preservation and promotion of culture, history, art, social activities, tradition, but also diversity within our society, according to the announcement.
