Komšić in Ključ: We didn't give up in the war when it was hardest, we haven't in peace, and we won't in the future, whatever it brings

(Patria) - Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željko Komšić attended today the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Liberation Day of the municipality of Ključ.

On that occasion, Komšić addressed those present, expressing his deepest gratitude to all those who sacrificed their lives and health for the defense of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the liberation of Ključ.

- Respected families of the martyrs and fallen members of our Army and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, war military invalids, esteemed fighters and war commanders of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, representatives of all levels of government, respected citizens of Ključ, I sincerely wish to congratulate you on the 30th anniversary of the liberation of your city.



As a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to all those who sacrificed their lives and health for the defense of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the liberation of Ključ.

I need not speak of how the monstrous crimes that occurred at the beginning of the war in the area of the municipality of Ključ, especially in Biljani, became a lesson for all of us, a lesson to be remembered because it serves as a warning.

However, by liberating Ključ, you gave us material for another lesson. One about the victorious and indomitable spirit of the fighters of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in this case, the fighters of the 510th Liberation Brigade of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Komšić stated.



In these days, he added, it is not superfluous to remind and note that Ključ is a city that was a refuge for the last Bosnian king, Stjepan Tomašević Kotromanić.

- And precisely the story of his actions in this city teaches us one of the most important lessons from our history. And that is that we must not and cannot rely on others' guarantees, oaths, and promises, whether they come from the east or the west!

We can and must only rely on guarantees that are the product of our strength and intelligence, we can only rely on ourselves.

In these turbulent times, we must believe in our strength. We must not and should not demoralize ourselves, as the saying goes, beat ourselves down, with stories that we are weak and powerless. No, we are not powerless.



We didn't give up in the war when it was hardest, we haven't given up in peace, and we won't give up in the future, whatever it brings.

Our strength lies in continuous daily efforts to make our local communities better, and thus our state stronger and more harmonious - said Komšić.

He also told the citizens of Ključ, as well as all of Bosnia and Herzegovina, that he knows it is difficult and exhausting for them to follow the daily political bickering and posturing.

- Political games over chairs, governments, and positions are becoming a toxic and poisoned environment, far from the eyes of ordinary citizens.

Unnecessary quarrels and tensions have poisoned the public space, in which there is less and less room for reminders of our great victories and the liberation of our cities.



Let us not allow the struggle for positions to push the struggle for the state into the background. We must not allow this because of all those who are not with us today, precisely so that we could be here.

Just as we once liberated our homeland, we must now begin to liberate the "public space." We need to bring back into it memories of precisely such events from our history.

And not to beat our chests and boast, not to send some harsh messages, but to strengthen the awareness that we will have only as much freedom and state as we ourselves fight for.

Any lulling and belief that our state will be defended by someone outside ourselves is nothing more than another attempt at deception, even self-deception.

And that process of deception consists not only of undermining state institutions but also of actively imposing a view that the fate of the state, social and political processes should be left in the hands of others, in the hands of false friends.

On a broader social level, I have the impression that a struggle is being waged between these two concepts and two approaches to the reality in which we live - Komšić emphasizes.

He notes that these very days we hear how some not far from here are proclaiming that these are their royal cities.

- We must tell them again, because the truth is hard for them to grasp - there are only Bosnian royal cities. And Ključ, and Jajce, and Visoko, and Bobovac, these are without exception only Bosnian royal cities.

And when they are Bosnian, only then are they also Croatian, and Bosniak, and Serbian, then they are ours. Neither all attempts to dismantle the Bosnian state, nor those coming from the eastern or western neighbor, could erase this from history.

That is why you, brave citizens of Ključ, have the right to walk with your heads held high. By confirming your sovereignty and integrity, you have secured the freedom of life in your city.

And today, 30 years later, you are still the guarantors of the freedom of your city, and today you are our guarantee that the keys of Bosnia are in our hands. Happy 30th anniversary of the liberation of your city - concluded Željko Komšić in his address.