Novi Grad Municipality Sarajevo with fighters, veterans marked the Day of the Army of RBiH

(Patria) - The Municipality of Novi Grad Sarajevo today marked the Day of the Army of RBiH - April 15 and the 34th anniversary of its formation with a special program and gathering with fighters, veterans, members of Novi Grad's and other wartime brigades and the MUP of RBiH, women fighters, disabled war veterans, members of the families of martyrs and fallen fighters of the Army of RBiH, civilian victims of war, army generals, and numerous guests from social and public life.

The event marking one of the most significant dates in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in the sports hall "Ramiz Salčin", where, along with a cultural and entertainment program, a lunch was organized for over 800 fighters and guests.

It was an opportunity to recall how the fighters of the Army of RBiH bravely and heroically opposed the intentions of those who wanted to destroy this city and this country, to remember the bravest sons and daughters of BiH who laid down their lives for the freedom we live in today, to pay them tribute, express our respect and gratitude for what they did for an independent, sovereign, and united BiH.

The commemoration was attended by members of Novi Grad brigades, representatives of state, federal, and cantonal levels of government, the Municipal Council of Novi Grad Sarajevo, directors of educational institutions, and guests from other brigades.

The attendees were addressed by the host of the event, the Mayor of Novi Grad Municipality Sarajevo, Semir Efendić, and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, Omer Osmanović.

Efendić said that the Municipality of Novi Grad strives to gather as many former members of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina as possible every year on April 15, and the goal is to honor and respect them on that day.

- This country would not exist if it weren't for the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the determination of our people to defend themselves from aggression, of course, through the Army. Today we have something called the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the new legal system after Dayton, but we also have the memory of what preceded these Armed Forces, and it is certain that neither the Armed Forces nor other institutions would exist today if it weren't for the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which defended this country - said Efendić.

He added that it is important to preserve the awareness that all future generations must be aware that the country's future depends on our readiness to defend it.

- The Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina showed that we can always defend this country when we want to, even in the most difficult circumstances. It was not sufficiently armed, technically equipped, nor organized, nor did it have enough time, but the determination and heart shown by our young men (many of whom gave their lives for our homeland) showed that a people who want to defend themselves cannot be defeated or conquered. And that is the memory we cherish, by preserving the legacy of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina - emphasized Efendić.

He stressed the importance of nurturing the memory of the Army members of those events, for generations who do not remember the war, to hear directly from living witnesses what happened in the area of Sarajevo's Novi Grad municipality and the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As part of the program marking the Day of the Army of RBiH, attendees had the opportunity to watch a film - a short reminder of the heroic and victorious days of the Army of RBiH.

In the musical part of the event, students of Primary School "Avdo Smailović" performed, accompanied by Haris Ganić, and a music orchestra under the expert guidance of Samir Zavlana.

Numerous attendees, with great emotion, recalled the heroic days of our Army, with patriotic songs created during the siege of Sarajevo and the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, performed by Abid Sakalaš, Rizo Hamidović, and Nešad Selman.

The host of the event was the Bosnian-Herzegovinian actor Irfan Kasumović.

The Minister for Veterans' Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, Omer Osmanović, recalled that one of the members of the most honorable generations that walked the Bosnian lands is the generation sitting in the "Ramiz Salčin" hall, which treads the celestial expanses...

- A generation that voted for BiH, that defended BiH, and that built BiH. I hope that the sons of the heroes Ramiz Salčin and Safet Hadžić, who are sitting here today, will continue on the path that their fathers led.

Just as the BiH football team, the fighters of the Army of RBiH fought for the anthem, for the flag, for the homeland, the state of BiH, and they succeeded. I hope that the generation that is coming now, sitting with us, will be the generation that will lead us to the European Union, to the NATO alliance, and that we will wake up in the morning with good news - said Minister Osmanović.