US Independence Day Celebrated Without Dodik and Čović

SARAJevo, (Patria) - The US Independence Day and the 243rd birthday of this country were solemnly celebrated in Sarajevo tonight without the Chairman of the Presidency of BiH Milorad Dodik and the president of HDZ Dragan Čović, reports the Patria agency.

US Independence Day is a national holiday celebrating the adoption of the American Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, when independence from Great Britain was declared, and on this day, the history and traditions of the United States of America are celebrated.

Numerous domestic and international dignitaries gathered at the US Embassy building tonight in Sarajevo, while Dodik and Čović did not attend the reception.

Greeting the gathered representatives of BiH and international institutions, as well as the diplomatic corps at the US Embassy building in Sarajevo, Ambassador Eric Nelson said that on this day, the values that inspired the creation of the American nation are celebrated. 

He recalled the words of US President Donald Trump within the National Security Strategy document, in which he stated that freedom, free trade, justice for all, and the dignity of every individual are the key values of what makes the US the nation it is. 

Nelson emphasized that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, and thus celebrates the achievement of an incredible goal set by US President John F. Kennedy, who said at the time that it was decided to fly to the moon in that decade not because it was easy, but because it was not. 

Around this time next year, a rover is expected to land on Mars, our closest planet, in a crater named after a place in BiH, "Jezero" near Jajce, and Nelson says that no one knows what inspiration this achievement will be for future generations. 

“BiH today has its own bold goal that does not require space travel. BiH’s goal is progress towards membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union. The US supports this goal because this goal will serve to measure your strengths and skills,” he emphasized. 

He also stressed that BiH’s success does not depend on what the international community can do, but on what the citizens of this country can do for their country, and the US is ready to support BiH in this endeavor because they offer partnership to those who strive for freedom and prosperity.