Bosnia and Herzegovina National Day Marked at World Expo 2020 Dubai

(Patria) - Bosnia and Herzegovina yesterday, in the presence of its official delegation, United Arab Emirates dignitaries, representatives of the business community, and other guests, marked its national day at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Each country's participation at Expo 2020 Dubai is marked by a national day, and the organizer designated December 18, 2021, as the national day for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to protocol, delegation heads held brief meetings before the official ceremony. The ceremony began with the raising of the flags of the United Arab Emirates and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the playing of anthems, and speeches by the delegation heads.

The official ceremony for our homeland was opened by the head of the United Arab Emirates delegation, Hammad Ahmad Al Rahoomi, First Deputy Speaker of the UAE Parliament, who welcomed the delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to EXPO 2020 in Dubai, emphasizing that the UAE are friends to our homeland, both in the nineties and today.

On behalf of the delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Speaker of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, Denis Zvizdić, welcomed the attendees, thanked the hosts for the opportunity given to our country, and highlighted the comparative, natural, geographical, and other advantages that make it the most desirable destination for safe and good investments in Southeast Europe.

"We are proud to participate in Expo 2020 in Dubai, highlighting the soul, hospitality, nature, connectivity of an inspiring community, innovation, and diversity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With rich investment opportunities and natural resources, we are delighted to have the opportunity to present the country's beauty to tourists and introduce investors to the prosperity of its business landscape, highly qualified and educated people, and advanced industries," said Speaker Zvizdić in his address.

He added that the lasting goals of BiH are to create a knowledge society, as well as to strengthen competitiveness and economic stability in order to achieve lasting stability and prosperity for our homeland.

As part of the festive cultural and artistic program of the national day, our country was represented by members of KUD Baščaršija, who performed the Gluhog glamočkog kola and "Pjesme u tepsiji," while the group Divanhana and Marija Šestić presented sevdalinka, the authentic musical tradition of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with their performances.

After the ceremony, the head of the UAE delegation, Al Rahoomi, and ministers of the Government of the United Arab Emirates hosted a formal dinner for the delegation and business people from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Following the dinner, a short performance was organized, including a projection of motifs and flags of BiH and the UAE on Al Wasl, followed by a press conference where the Minister of Economy of Sarajevo Canton Adnan Delić, Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Edin Forto, and Speaker of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Denis Zvizdić addressed international media and answered questions from journalists who expressed great interest in our country.

Minister Delić emphasized, among other things, that by coming to EXPO 2020 Dubai, his dream for his homeland to be presented at one of the largest and oldest gatherings of nations in the world had come true.
"You are now the center of the world as hosts of one of the largest events in the field of innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship, EXPO 2020, and the country I come from was the center of the world in 1984 when it hosted the 14th Winter Olympic Games. We want to restore that glory to our homeland and for it to be the center of world events again," said Minister Delić during his address to journalists.

Prime Minister Forto emphasized the importance of BiH's participation at EXPO 2020 Dubai, as well as all its advantages as a quality market for investors.

"What we have shown today at the ceremony is our culture, but also everything that is being said here about future visions. We want to break established stereotypes about our country and present and show the various opportunities it offers to the business community, and we will do so during the coming months of this exhibition," stated Prime Minister Forto.

The official delegation at the national day celebration was joined by business people from Bosnia and Herzegovina who will also attend the Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Business Briefing (CBB) today, December 19, 2021, where they will have the opportunity to present the comparative advantages that BiH offers in entrepreneurship, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as attractive projects in the sectors of transport, energy, IT, wood and metal industries, agriculture, and, of course, tourism, to interested participants of this gathering.

The delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, Denis Zvizdić, while the members of the delegation included the President of the Organizing Committee EXPO 2020 BiH and Minister of Economy of Sarajevo Canton Adnan Delić, BiH Ambassador to the UAE Šerif Mujkanović, delegate in the House of Peoples of the Federation of BiH and representative in the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton Elmedin Konaković, Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Edin Forto, Minister of Science, Higher Education and Youth Aleksandra Nikolić, Minister of Tourism of the Federation of BiH Edita Đapo, Prof. Dr. Vjekoslav Domljan as a representative of the academic community, and Emir Granov as a representative of the Dubai state investment fund and business community.