The head of Bosnia’s Islamic Community (IC) announced on Friday that the institution will open an office in Washington that will facilitate its operations in North America.

Bosnia’s Grand Mufti Husein Kavazovic made the announcement in Washington after meeting with the Grand Mufti of the Bosniak Islamic Community in North America, Sabahudin Ceman.

The IC said in a statement that the two religious leaders underscored the importance of the purchase of an office with Ceman saying that “putting a representative, multi-purpose space into operation represents a significant step in the positioning of Bosniaks in US society” and “the strengthening of relations” between the IC in Bosnia and the US.

Kavazovic praised the work the US-based Bosniak Islamic Community has been doing in maintaining the Islamic and Bosniak identity and asked Ceman to thank Bosniaks in the US for their “continuous support and involvement in all activities that the Community is implementing in the country and abroad.”