Tribute Paid at Kovači Cemetery: Alija Izetbegović Restored Bosniaks' Identity

A delegation of the SDA, led by president Bakir Izetbegović, laid flowers today at the grave of the first president of the Presidency of BiH, Alija Izetbegović, on his birthday, writes the BiH news agency Patria. Delegations from the FBiH, Sarajevo Canton, and municipalities attended the commemoration.

Bakir Izetbegović said that no one should be compared to his late father.

- Neither I nor any of the Bosniak leaders, so I will gladly avoid those comparisons. Today, times are much easier and it is easier to bear the burden, but there are many problems, from time to time we have crises, but generally, the line is upward, the process of reconciliation, the reform process, the path to NATO is slow but inevitable - said Izetbegović the younger.

He added that it is necessary to cherish the memory of the late Alija for our sake.

- He symbolizes a time when we regained statehood, when we rebuilt the BiH Army, when Bosniaks regained their name, regained the name of their language, when we made a huge historical shift. Cynics will say that the current situation is not significantly different from that 25 years ago, however, if it weren't for Alija and the Army, it could have been significantly different. A great deal was achieved, and it is up to us to complete that battle politically in a proper manner - said Izetbegović.