The Bosniak and Croat members of Bosnia's tripartite Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic and Zeljko Komsic congratulated the March 1 on Sunday, the country's Independence Day, recalling the events which occurred on that date in 1992 but also calling on all Bosnians to work together on making Bosnia a better country through dialogue, compromise and cooperation.

“Twenty-nine years ago, a referendum on the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina took place. That is when a vast majority of citizens of this country, members of all its peoples, chose the path of freedom and dignity,” Dzaferovic said. “We must also remember and pay tribute to all those who defended the state of BiH with their lives, ensuring its survival. Thanks to the legacy of the March 1, Bosnia today is an independent and internationally recognized country, becoming part of the European and Euro-Atlantic family, as a global symbol of security and prosperity.”

“The future of our country lies in integration, connection, understanding and joint efforts to provide the generations to come with conditions for building a society based on European values and standards, in which dialogue and mutual respect for our differences will be the foundation of the betterment for all,” Dzaferovic said.

Zeljko Komsic also recalled the referendum day and the fallen soldiers who died defending the country’s independence and ensuring survival.

“Voting at the referendum marked the beginning of the process of gaining independence, a process that, apparently, lasts to this day. Those who tried to annul the majority will of the citizens of BIH using all means did not deviate a millimetre from their 1992 goals. The same forces that militarily attacked and undermined the country because of its independence and autonomy are still active and acting against Bosnia,” Komsic said.

He added that with the same zeal with which we fought for independence, freedom, honour and equality after March 1, 1992, we still need to oppose the destructive forces that weaken our homeland, but this time through the very institutions of the state.

“In that sense, I call on us to turn to an internal, BiH dialogue in order to find that consensus, and not to try to understand those who constantly deny our country’s the right to existence. I wish all the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina a happy March 1, Independence Day,” Komsic concluded.

Independence Day is observed on only one part of the country, the Bosniak-Croat shared Federation (FBiH) entity, while the other Serb-dominated Republika Srpska (RS) entity as well as the Serb Presidency member Milorad Dodik, do not recognise March 1st as a holiday or a date of any significance.