Commemoration of Martyrs and Fallen Defenders Marks the Start of the Event 'Defence of BiH - Igman 2017'

By laying flowers and paying tribute to the martyrs and fallen soldiers of the Army and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Martyrs' Memorial Cemetery „Kovači“, the event „Defence of BiH-Igman 2017“ was officially opened today.

On behalf of this year's Organising Committee (OC) of the event, flowers were laid by its president, Federal Minister for Veterans' Affairs Salko Bukvarević and the deputy president of the OC, Minister for Veterans' Affairs of Sarajevo Canton Muharem Fišo.

After laying flowers at the central headstone for the martyrs and the first President of the Presidency of the Republic of BiH Alija Izetbegović, flowers were laid at the Memorial to innocent civilian victims in Ferhadija Street, then at the Eternal Flame monument, the Memorial to the children of besieged Sarajevo, and in the courtyard of the Alipašina Mosque, as well as at the first victims of the aggression against our state Olga Sučić and Suada Dilberović.

With an appropriate address, the event was officially opened by the President of the OC, Federal Minister Bukvarević, who emphasised the importance of nurturing the culture of remembrance for all those who gave their lives for the defence of BiH.

- We are proud to be members of the forces that defended every inhabitant and the thousand-year-old pride and values - said Bukvarević, and stressed that veterans remain in the ranks to defend a unified BiH and democracy within it.

Minister Fišo stated on this occasion that tomorrow on Igman, tribute will be paid to 30,000 heroes who gave their lives for BiH.

- Our permanent obligation is to cherish the memory of a generation that this country waited 400 years for, so that young people, those who were not born, know that every inch of this land is soaked with the blood of heroes - Fišo conveyed, adding that from Igman, as in previous years, a message of peace will be sent.

The event „Defence of BiH-Igman 2017“ will continue tomorrow with numerous activities, and the central ceremony will be held on Mount Igman at Veliko Polje on the same day, starting at 3:00 PM with a parade of veterans of the Army and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of BiH.

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