Bosnia's tripartite Presidency members congratulated the Victory in Europe Day, each in his own way, but with a joint message of the continued fight against fascism and evil in Bosnia and the world.

Presidency Chairman and Bosniak member Sefik Dzaferovic and Croat Presidency member Zeljko Komsic laid flowers at the Kovaci Memorial Centre in Sarajevo, marking the Day of the Golden Lilies – the day dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the Army of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RBiH) which coincides with the Victory in Europe Day – May 9.

Speaking at the memorial, Dzaferovic said that 75 years ago, the darkest ideology to have happened in the modern history of man suffered a devastating military defeat.

“I also want to congratulate the Victory in Europe Day because Bosnia wants to become a member of the EU, the foundations of which were laid five years after the end of the Second World War,” said Dzaferovic.

He recalled that May 9 is celebrated as the Day of the Golden Lilies of the Army of RBiH, to which he also sent congratulations and said that Bosnian citizens should all be proud of that Army.

Dzaferovic pointed out that the Army fought for the true values of anti-fascism – freedom, democracy, equality and common life of all people living in Bosnia.

The two also laid wreaths at the Eternal Flame in Sarajevo, dedicated to all the WWII victims and partisans who fought the Axis powers.

On the occasion of the Day of Victory over Fascism in Europe as well as the Golden Lilies Day, Komsic congratulated this day to all free citizens of Europe, anti-fascists and winners of the Golden Lily award.

“As a citizen of Bosnia, a state founded on the principles of anti-fascism and a state that in its recent past faced the ghosts of fascism, I am proud of our past, because at least two generations of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, defending our homeland, also defended and the fundamental values of the civilized world. Anti-fascism is one of civilization's fundamental values. Bosnians and Herzegovinians have always known the difference between good and evil, humanity and inhumanity, how to oppose genocidal and fascist projects before the world adopted various declarations and conventions on genocide and its prevention, and I congratulate them on that,” Komsic said.

The Serb member of Bosnia's Presidency, Milorad Dodik, congratulated all Bosnian citizens on the Day of Victory over Fascism in the Second World War and Europe Day, emphasizing that May 9, 1945, is one of the most important dates in world's history because on that day the ideology of terror was defeated.

“Serbs should be proud of their anti-fascist past and the fact that, together with other righteous and libertarian peoples, we made a significant contribution to the fight against fascism and Nazism,” Dodik said.

He stressed that World War II was a dark and tragic period in human history. which should be an eternal warning to everyone that such evil should never happen again, but also that we must never forget all the victims who fell for freedom, the Presidency said in their statement.