City of Sarajevo to chair the international association "Cities of Peace Messengers"

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The City of Sarajevo, led by Mayor Abdulah Skaka, will chair the international association "Cities of Peace Messengers" (IAPMC) for the next year – it was highlighted at today's press conference held on the occasion of the conclusion of the 30th General Assembly of this esteemed UN association.

"For the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is an exceptional recognition, but also a great responsibility, especially today, when more than ever, a voice of peace and stability, connection and bringing together people of different faiths, traditions and civilizations is so needed. We are an encouragement, an incentive to understand and accept, using Sarajevo as an example, that it is possible to live together," said Mayor Skaka.

Local authorities, cities and municipalities, Skaka believes, can contribute much more to strengthening peace through international cooperation and support.

"Their vitality and good knowledge of the needs of their residents make them more humane and capable of understanding and reacting more effectively in crisis situations," emphasized the head of the City of Sarajevo.

This international event was also an ideal opportunity for the City of Sarajevo to continue institutionally expanding its international ties, strengthening its position and presence in cities across Europe and the world. Mayor Skaka had working meetings with his counterparts from the cities of: Coventry from Great Britain, the first city with which Sarajevo became twinned, then Auschwitz, Kotor, Volgograd, Prilep.

At the Sarajevo General Assembly, the Cities of Prilep and Sremski Karlovci officially became members of the large family of European and world cities of peace messengers.

Over the past two days, the focus of the IAPMC General Assembly has been on highly relevant topics today: Promoting a culture of peace in the 21st century, UN Sustainable Development Goals: Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, and population migration and the role of cities and their actions on the consequences of this phenomenon.

The Sarajevo meeting of mayors and other representatives of local authorities of European and world peace-bearing cities concluded with the adoption of the Sarajevo Declaration, as a contribution to the mission of building a common future of solidarity and peace for European and world civil and democratic society.