EU ambassadors concerned about the behaviour of Minister Zora Dujmović!

A delegation representing the East West Centre, the Sarajevo Film Festival, the International Ballet Fest, the Ars Aevi International Gallery of Contemporary Art, the MES International Theatre Festival, the Bosnian National Theatre Zenica and the SVEM International Classical Music Festival, attended today a meeting with ambassadors of EU member states and the EU Special Representative in BiH and Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

The EU Delegation to BiH dedicated a special agenda item to familiarising participants with the distribution of funds for culture carried out by the Minister of Culture and Sports of the Federation of BiH Zora Dujmović.

The delegation of BiH international cultural institutions informed the EU ambassadors that the funds of the Federal Ministry of Culture were distributed illegally and the decision is aimed at extinguishing international culture in BiH. The Government of the Federation of BiH and
the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Federation of BiH have not responded to official complaints about the irregular decision of Minister Dujmović even after six weeks.

The ambassadors were also informed that the Ministry rejected the request of cultural institutions for insight into the documentation of the selection process, thereby Minister Dujmović violated yet another law - the Law on Freedom of Access to Information, and that the Administrative Inspectorate of the Ministry of Justice has not responded to the submitted reports. There is a complete silence of the administration, which is yet another violation of the law among the many illegalities in the procedure of the Government of the Federation of BiH and the Ministry headed by Dujmović.

The EU ambassadors expressed concern about the endangerment of international culture in BiH at a time when BiH wants to submit an application for EU membership. Several ambassadors emphasised that culture must not be under political influence, just as
judiciary must not, and that European culture is non-discriminatory.

If we talk about Europe in BiH, then we talk about European culture, it was also heard at the meeting.

International cultural institutions in BiH have sent letters to the OSCE, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the US Embassy in BiH.