Inzko stood guard at the National Museum: This is the ID card of Bosnia and Herzegovina

High Representative Valentin Inzko today joined the staff of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina and took his shift at the museum to show support for the campaign “I am the museum” organized by the Association “Akcija” from Sarajevo, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

- The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the ID card of this country. What the Prado means for Spain, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg for Russia, or the Louvre for France, that is what the National Museum means for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its collections tell the story of centuries of Bosnian history, and the duty of its current custodians is to preserve this heritage for future generations. This museum belongs to all the people of this country. Today I am here to support the museum staff, who are fully aware of its importance for the entire Balkans and for the common European and world heritage, and who – despite the lack of funds – have not given up on the intention to reopen the museum doors to the public of Bosnia and Herzegovina  - said the High Representative.

The High Representative welcomed the conclusions adopted by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 2015, aimed at finding both a temporary and a permanent solution for the financial and other problems related to the unresolved legal status of seven cultural institutions of special importance for Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He praised the efforts of the Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Adil Osmanović, who initiated the process of resolving this serious problem through official, institutional channels and who will play a key role in concrete efforts aimed at helping these cultural institutions.

The High Representative called on all relevant parties to give this issue the highest priority so that the Memorandum of Understanding, the proposal of which has already been signed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Education of Sarajevo Canton, the City of Sarajevo and five Sarajevo municipalities – Centar, Stari Grad, Novo Sarajevo, Novi Grad and Ilidža – could enter into force as soon as possible, so that the doors of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina could be reopened to the public.