Professor Kasim Trnka new president of the VKBI

(Patria) - The regular Assembly of the Council of the Congress of Bosniak Intellectuals (VKBI) unanimously elected emeritus professor Dr. Kasim Trnka as president for the mandate period 2024-2029.



Upon the proposal of the president, the Assembly elected Dr. Sedad Bešlija from Sarajevo as deputy president of the Council.

Within its competencies, and in accordance with the Agreement signed by the Bosniak National Council in Serbia, the Bosniak Council in Montenegro, the Coordination of Cantonal Bosniak Councils and the Council of the City of Zagreb in Croatia, the Bosniak National Council of North Macedonia, the Cultural Bosniak Alliance of Slovenia, and the Council of the Congress of Bosniak Intellectuals of BiH, the VKBI Assembly made a decision to establish an autonomous body, the Office - the Parent Society of Bosniak Councils.

This is the first time in the modern history of BiH that Bosniak councils and organizations from the territory of the former Yugoslavia have institutionally linked in the promotion, improvement and presentation of the fundamental elements of the identity of the Bosniak people - in the areas of Bosniak symbols, the Bosnian language and literature, history, geography, music, fine and other arts, cultural and natural heritage, and the need to act with the aim of defining the content of textbooks for the group of subjects in the Bosnian language in primary and secondary schools.

The Parent Society of Bosniak Councils is open to all other Bosniak organizations for the purpose of their joining and inclusion for joint work and action.

Previous attempts at such networking failed due to the fact that the so-called umbrella or fundamental Bosniak societies were established by individuals, and not by legal entities, i.e., already existing relevant Bosniak councils and organizations.

On the other hand, all Bosniak societies and organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina that are considered fundamental or umbrella have not had such a status since the establishment of Bosniak councils in Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, because these bodies were established on the basis of the laws and constitutions of these states and have public authorizations in several areas, and represent Bosniaks regarding identity issues before state institutions.



In this way, preconditions have been created so that from 2025, all levels of government from Bosnia and Herzegovina can, in a transparent and lawful manner, support programs and projects related to the identity issues of Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina and all countries of the region where Bosniak national councils have been established.

Certainly, in this way, preconditions have also been created for the competent ministries of Bosnia and Herzegovina to initial interstate agreements with adequate ministries in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Slovenia, with the aim of supporting the realization of fundamental identity issues of Bosniaks in those countries. Suljo Mustafić was appointed president of the Parent Society of Bosniak Councils.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, advisor to Denis Bećirović, member of the BiH Presidency, Mehmed Pargan, and the Deputy Reis-ul-Ulema in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Enes ef. Ljevaković, welcomed and strongly supported the institutional linking of the Bosniak people of the region in the area of realizing and improving identity issues, emphasizing the importance that the activities of the Parent Society of Bosniak Councils will respect the international legal subjectivity and sovereignty of all states where Bosniaks live.

The VKBI Assembly held a discussion on the topic of the Position of Bosniaks in the Balkans and Europe in the current geo-political process, whose introductory speakers were Prof. Dr. Kasim Trnka, Prof. Dr. Amir Karić, Dr. Hilmo Neimarlija, MSc Emir Zlatar, academician Prof. Dr. Enes Karić, after which a large number of VKBI members from the academic community of Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the discussion.

The Assembly adopted a Conclusion that the Management Board will define a strategic document - a Manifesto, which will define the most significant determinants of the position and status of Bosniaks as an indigenous autochthonous European people in the Balkans and the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the historical homeland of the good Bošnjani, Bosniaks, in the context of complex geopolitical and geostrategic challenges.

Special emphasis was placed on the strategic commitment in the context of European and Euro-Atlantic integrations, where Bosnia and Herzegovina necessarily belongs, and thus Bosniaks as its most numerous people.

The strategic document will, upon its creation, be publicly presented and sent to all political parties of Bosnian-Herzegovinian and Bosniak provenance, the academic community and social activists of civil society organizations.