Moore: Bosnian language did not emerge after the war, it has existed for centuries

Head of the OSCE Mission in BiH Jonathan Moore visited Banja Luka today where he met with PDP President Borislav Borenović, reports Patria News Agency.

During his visit to Banja Luka, Moore emphasized that it is unacceptable to deny Bosniak children in Republika Srpska the right to learn the Bosnian language.

- There is discrimination in education against Bosniak children in RS, just as there are problems in the Federation of BiH, two schools under one roof. For decades, the practice has been to call the language of the Bosniak people the Bosnian language; you can find this in the Franciscan Monastery in Fojnica, where there is a Dictionary of the Bosnian Language from the 18th century. The Bosnian language is not some invention after the last war, but something that has existed for centuries – Moore said after the meeting with Borenović.

Moore also recalled that the previous government of Republika Srpska allowed Bosniak children to have the Bosnian language written in their student books, and that he does not understand why this practice has changed.

- The practice in the former government in some municipalities and cities, Zvornik, Srebrenica, and Prijedor, was to write the Bosnian language in the books. For reasons unknown to me, the current authorities and the Pedagogical Institute of RS decided two years ago to introduce a new policy. I have no problem with that; it is a provision in the Constitution of RS, but people should be allowed to call their language whatever they want, and Bosniaks say their language is Bosnian, that is an international principle – Moore stated.

Branislav Borenović stated that he disagrees with Moore because the Constitution of RS does not recognize the Bosnian language, but only the language of the Bosniak people.

- The Constitution of RS stipulates that it is the language of the Bosniak people, and that is the supreme document for us, which we adhere to. Therefore, I understand the Ministry of Education of RS, which has expressed its position in accordance with the Constitution of RS. We will not always agree on some issues, and there are many more important topics in RS and BiH. Therefore, I think the language issue is too politicized, that it has entered the sphere of heavy politics, and even a few years ago, too much insistence on something led to such different views and interpretations of provisions regarding language in RS and BiH. Everyone has the right to their own interpretation – said Borenović.

One of the journalists' questions after the meeting was whether the election of delegates to the House of Peoples would be conducted according to the 1991 or 2013 census, to which Moore replied that a solution would be found, but that the holding of the General Elections in 2018 would certainly not be in question.