Pake: Marking the assassination is not about blaming one nation for the conflict

Marking the anniversary of the Sarajevo assassination is not aimed at blaming one community or nation for the event, a diplomatic event that led to the First World War, said for the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP) Jean-Eric Paquet, Director of the Directorate for Enlargement of the European Union.

- It is a pity that there are misunderstandings, but this is not about blaming someone for the events, and that is an interpretation that some of our partners put forward. Sarajevo 2014 is a chance to look at the past, but to continue living in peace. It is an event for all communities in BiH and I would like them all to experience it that way – says Paquet.

According to his words, the gathering of European leaders and representatives of EU member states in Sarajevo on today's date should remind everyone of the two great wars in the past century, but also of the process of European integration, after which there were no more wars.

- Because of that process, the European Union received the Nobel Peace Prize. This is an opportunity to send a great message of reconciliation for this entire region. I believe it is necessary to look at the past and be aware of how privileged we are to live in peace today. This also applies to BiH, which had a war in the recent past. We need to enter a deep process of reconciliation, and an example of this are Germany and France, which had several wars, and today are together in the European Union – says Paquet.

Tonight, the central ceremony marking the centenary of the assassination that occurred 100 years ago, on this day, will be held in the Sarajevo City Hall. The Vienna Philharmonic will hold a concert in the presence of numerous high guests, including Austrian President Heinz Fischer, members of the BiH Presidency, and representatives of other European states, NAP reports.