Pivić at the ceremonial academy on the occasion of BiH Statehood Day: We are ready to defend our homeland by all means

(Patria) - A ceremonial academy on the occasion of November 25, Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was held tonight at the Bosnian National Theatre in Zenica, organized by the Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton.

Prime Minister of Zenica-Doboj Canton Nezir Pivić congratulated the citizens and attendees at the academy, stating that November 25, 1943, was a historic act that confirmed the necessity of political and state life for people in this region.

He emphasized that ZAVNOBiH confirmed the continuity of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the equality of people living in it, and that this was the spirit and letter of the ZAVNOBiH session held in Mrkonjić Grad.



- The delegates of ZAVNOBiH were aware even then of our differences compared to other republics of the former common country. All those who ruled these areas left their mark on our country and our peoples.

That is why we were then, and remain, a unique cultural civilization, and the resolution from Mrkonjić Grad confirmed the determination of the people for Bosnia and Herzegovina to be a brotherhood community in which full equality of all peoples and nationalities will be ensured - Pivić stated.

He pointed out that ZAVNOBiH strengthened the foundations of Bosnia and Herzegovina and sealed its external borders, which were internationally recognized in 1992, when the lily flag was raised in front of the UN headquarters in New York.

- And then we had to close ranks again to defend ourselves from attacks on our homeland and our people. Five decades after ZAVNOBiH, an army of patriots, organized first through the Territorial Defense and then the magnificent Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the command of the President of the Presidency Alija Izetbegović, stood up to defend the people and the country from brutal aggression - said Pivić.

He emphasized that in the honorable fight for the greatest civilizational values during the aggression of 1992-95, many patriots paid with their lives, paying tribute to the martyrs and fallen soldiers, as well as all defenders who left parts of their bodies and their health on the battlefields across Bosnia and Herzegovina.



He also paid tribute to the participants of the National Liberation War who also fought for the greatest human values - equality, freedom, and homeland.

- The sacrifice of patriots will never, and must not, be forgotten. It is the duty of institutions and all of us to cherish the achievements of the struggle for the homeland and to take care of the defenders and their families, which this canton certainly shows through its measures and policies.

Three decades have passed since the establishment of the Dayton Peace Agreement, but attacks on state sovereignty and integrity, and aspirations for new divisions, have not ceased. What they failed to achieve in war, they want to achieve in peace. These forces are obstructing our European path and the strengthening of the state, and generally slowing down positive processes.



From this place, I want to tell them that we will persevere in our efforts to create an environment tailored to every citizen and to strengthen the position of our state in Europe and the world, but also that we are ready to defend our state by all means. Bosnia has existed since time immemorial, it exists and is strengthening, and it will endure for many new future generations.

Let us protect and love our Bosnia and Herzegovina, let the patriotic spirit unite and strengthen us, and let us continue to build and lead it towards a better future and progress. That is the task of all of us - concluded Pivić.