Bešlić and Oručević to Present Peace Award to Irina Bokova

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova will be presented with the international award „Mostar Peace Connection 2015“ by the Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation from Mostar tonight, reports the Patria news agency.

The award will be jointly presented to Bokova by former Mayor of Mostar and Director of the Center for Peace Safet Oručević and the current Mayor Ljubo Bešlić.

The award will be presented to Bokova as part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the inscription of the Old Bridge and the Old City of Mostar area on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The explanation for the award states that Irina Bokova, through her engagement, significantly contributed to the realization of the idea of a Bosnia and Herzegovina in which all peoples and citizens will feel free and equal.

In a written thank-you note to the Director of the Center for Peace Oručević, UNESCO Director-General Bokova says:

-It is an honor and pleasure to receive such a significant award. The reconstruction and restoration of the Old Bridge and the historic center of Mostar symbolized reconciliation, cooperation, and coexistence of different, multiethnic communities after the brutal war. The tenth anniversary of the inscription of the Old Bridge on the UNESCO World Heritage List is a testament to the enduring nature of these values, as well as to the positive effects of the significant work of your Center. It is fitting that the award ceremony will take place during this celebratory event. I accept this award with gratitude, as recognition of UNESCO's continuous commitment to contributing to and promoting peace around the world, and I look forward to further cooperation between UNESCO and the Center.

The Center for Peace established this award in 2004, and previous recipients include world-renowned figures such as Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, Alojz Mock, Mohamed ElBaradei, and others.