Bećirović: Bosnia and Herzegovina is an indivisible state, those who still attack it must know this

(Patria) - Member of the Presidency of BiH Denis Bećirović addressed the formal reception at the Sarajevo City Hall tonight, organized on the occasion of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Statehood Day together with another member of the Presidency of BiH, Željko Komšić.

We are transmitting Bećirović's speech in its entirety below.

"Dear citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Excellencies, Eminences, and esteemed guests, today we mark and celebrate a state holiday - Bosnia and Herzegovina's Statehood Day.

We have a state holiday and a state thanks to the anti-fascists. Therefore, I express deep respect to the anti-fascists who restored the statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina during World War II and defended its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity from 1992 to 1995.

ZAVNOBiH is a historical response to the policies of dividing Bosnia and Herzegovina. Great-state protagonists attempted to dismember Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Cvetković-Maček agreement in 1939. However, they did not succeed.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's anti-fascists, precisely through ZAVNOBiH, defeated the policies of dividing our state. They demonstrated a sense of continuity with the historical existence of the BiH state.

The anti-fascists restored the statehood and territorial unity of BiH. Therefore, it is no coincidence that at the Second Session of ZAVNOBiH, Bosnia and Herzegovina was defined as a common and indivisible homeland.

This concept of indivisibility should be particularly emphasized because it is of key importance. All those who still attack our state today must know that the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is indivisible. Let them remember this permanently - Bosnia and Herzegovina is an indivisible state!

The ideas and values of ZAVNOBiH are indestructible. The delegates of ZAVNOBiH opted for anti-fascism over fascism, unity over division, brotherhood over fratricide, unity over disunity, equality over inequality, social justice over injustice, inclusion over exclusion, and tolerance over intolerance during World War II.

Why does ZAVNOBiH still bother great-state protagonists today? Because the BiH anti-fascists at the ZAVNOBiH sessions opted for a whole and indivisible Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Chetnik project of Greater Serbia and the Ustasha project of Greater Croatia.

ZAVNOBiH is a historical turning point and an epochal defeat for the destructive policies that intended to divide BiH. ZAVNOBiH deserves a new reading, evaluation, and contextualization of this historical event. It is our authentic BiH product, our great torch of freedom that carries light.

Let us illuminate our present and future with the ZAVNOBiH light. November 25th should be discussed with new scientific insights, new scientific elaborations, and new scientific and political elaborations of ZAVNOBiH.

In this context, I particularly emphasize the positive role of our state Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which comprehensively contributes to the study and affirmation of ZAVNOBiH's values. Ladies and gentlemen, one of the symbols of our homeland is also the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded on June 22, 1965, and since 2006, it has been a member of the International Union of Academies based in Brussels. It is a fundamental national institution that continuously preserves the statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina bothers destructive forces that do not recognize the sovereignty and independence of BiH.

The Constitutional Court of BiH has adopted a decision ordering the Ministry of Justice of BiH to decide, in accordance with the Constitution of BiH, on the registration of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the register of legal entities of BiH. Regardless of the obstructions, the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina will sooner or later be registered as a unique state academy.

Science and art cannot be nationalistic. Science and art are universal and must not be confined within ethnic frameworks. Our role is to connect the past and the future with knowledge. We must balance what arises from our past with what the future brings. BiH must find the strength to reject illusions and populism.

In this difficult and complex time, there are no quick solutions. Responsible people know that real political choices rarely involve only one variable. Good decisions require a mix of political, diplomatic, sociological, economic, psychological, historical, and other insights.

The adopted Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica showed us that we need knowledge, courage, and character. Knowledge to conceive, assess, and successfully conduct diplomatic activities.

Courage to enter the battle against very powerful political, diplomatic, media, intelligence, and other structures, despite all obstacles and threats. Character to persevere in the consistent fight for truth and justice, even when media attacks were fierce and the situation uncertain.

The Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica, as well as some other foreign policy activities, showed us that we do not need to be on the defensive. We have shown that we have the knowledge, people, capacity, and strength. We have proven that we can win even in the most difficult diplomatic battles.

We confirmed this in New York on May 23rd of this year. More than 7,000 kilometers away from BiH. Let us be optimistic - now it is up to us to initiate the spirit that drove the best generations before us.

Dear friends, our BiH message is universal - instead of destruction, let's build bridges! Just as our glorious ancestors built bridges, so must we. We are facing the completion of the construction of two most important bridges in the 21st century - towards the European and Euro-Atlantic alliances of states.

Let us not allow anyone to obstruct the construction of these two bridges. Let us complete the construction of these two bridges in the interest of our people. In addition to these two bridges, we are also building many other bilateral bridges, cooperation, and friendships with our numerous friends around the world.

Never in the history of humankind has it been more difficult for a decent person. We live in a world where we witness immense suffering of people in Gaza, Ukraine, and some other parts of the world.

We in BiH understand the endangered and disenfranchised because we ourselves have experienced suffering and hardship during the 1990s. For us, all human lives are equally valuable. In ancient Greece and Rome, there was a special philosophical school of Hellenistic philosophy called Stoicism.

The Stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote long ago: 'We cannot choose external circumstances, but we can always choose how to respond to them.' Our role is to conceive and offer the best responses in the given circumstances and inspire people in their implementation - responsibly, bravely, with character, and with a vision of a better and more advanced Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Happy Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina to all people in the homeland, across Europe, and the world. May Bosnia and Herzegovina be eternal!"