Izetbegović: The independence we chose required courage, we made sacrifices in the fight for it

A full quarter-century has passed since the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina took their destiny into their own hands, voting FOR a sovereign and independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, a state of equal citizens and peoples – Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats, as well as members of other nations living in it.

The independence we chose required courage, determination and perseverance. In the fight for it, we made great sacrifices and losses, opposing aggression, stopping ethnic cleansing and genocide. Thus, the burden of responsibility we carry before future generations is even heavier – the sacrifices we made in the name of freedom and equality, the sacrifices for which our current freedom was dearly paid, oblige us to persevere.

The future of our country lies in integration, connection, understanding and joint efforts to leave a stable framework for progress for the generations to come, for the building of a tolerant society in which dialogue and mutual respect will be the foundation for improvement for all. We will build such a future with all our strength, because that is a debt we owe to past and future generations.

I sincerely congratulate all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Independence Day.