Bosnia's multi-ethnic character makes it a very special country, Turkish Ambassador to Bosnia Haldun Koc said during the opening of the reconstructed Aladza Mosque in Eastern-Bosnian town of Foca, on Saturday.

“Located in a special place Bosnia relies on tolerance and our embassy and all our institutions in the country work hard to contribute to peace and unity throughout it. We do it because relations among our peoples and our historical relations are very special, “Koc said. “We are doing this because we know that stability of this country means the stability of the entire region, and that's why your joy is our joy, and your sorrow is our sorrow,” said the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Bosnia.”

“The Aladza Mosque should be a monument to resilience and reconciliation,” the US Ambassador to Bosnia, Eric Nelson said.

“People of all faiths have come here to witness the return of their Aladza Mosque. I'm glad that the Republic of Turkey and Foca residents joined ed the reconstructed of this symbol of diversity and tolerance after our initial steps from the Ambassadors’ Fund,” Nelson said.

“When the US helps the preservation of cultural monuments, it shows how much it respects other cultures and their traditions. Cultural monuments ensure the continuity with the past and protect the cultural heritage for future generations,” he noted.

The Ambassador added that people should celebrate the opening of the Aladza Mosque and that Bosnians should celebrate Bosnia's diversity every day.

During the Bosnian war (1992-1995) the authorities of the then break-away Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina destroyed the mosque to the ground with explosives on August 2, 1992, and scattered its remains around the town. Some ended up on the city dump while some were buried underground.

The mosque's reconstruction began in 2014 and it was done according to the blueprints of the original Aladza Mosque.