Komsic and Becirovic on BiH Independence Day: Global circumstances are changing

Komsic began by stating that historical circumstances and the centuries-old desire for independence were united in a successfully held referendum on independence, which laid the foundation for the international recognition of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He added that unfortunately, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s independence had to be defended with arms and that the concentrated forces in and around the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the command of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, remained the only support in the struggle for independence.

“Not only could we not rely on international forces, but the international community was often on the side of the aggressor, as seen through the peace plans that were offered, which did not consider Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state, but rather as a union of states, a confederation, or anything other than a unified state. This attitude of the international community toward Bosnia and Herzegovina lasted until we organized the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which achieved both tactical and strategic victories,” Komsic asserted.

Only when it was proven that Bosnia and Herzegovina would not disappear and that the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was an unbreakable factor, Komsic continued, could one count on certain forms of help from international forces.

“But let’s not deceive ourselves, that assistance was not a result of their international will or favor, but rather the result of our demonstrated strength in the fight for our homeland. All of this leads us to a conclusion based on great collective experience, which says that whenever we relied on our own forces, the result of our struggle was visible and concrete, while whenever we, in numerous illusions, relied on others to defend our lives and our homeland, the result was devastating. And that is why today there should be no doubt about who we can rely on in the upcoming challenges,” Komsic emphasized.

He stated that we must rely on ourselves, but also talk to everyone, both from the East and the West.

“Let’s reject all those frequent and malicious criticisms regarding our attempts at cooperation or establishing contacts with countries that are undoubtedly friendly toward our homeland. We do not owe anyone an explanation. We owe it only to our country and our children, and the only guarantee of our independence is our duties to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Every day, we are witnessing that the world that existed yesterday, the relations that were the foundation of some kind of international order, no longer exist. If we do not change to such an extent, and if we still have the same thread that connected us in defending the homeland thirty years ago, today we must be equally aware that global circumstances are changing, just as they did during the fall of the Berlin Wall. The echo of those global changes is strongly felt here in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Komsic highlighted.

He concluded by stating that Bosnia and Herzegovina is celebrating this Independence Day with the political presence of foreign actors in the country being at its lowest point ever.

“It must be said clearly and loudly that the international community and its role in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as some concrete and active mechanism, no longer exist. Let’s remove it from our political, academic, and any other vocabulary, so that we can at least catch up with the realities of modern events at the level of language and thought. The reality ahead will be completely different from the post-Dayton era that we survived. If we want to catch up with this final reality, we will have to find strength within ourselves to defend the integrity of decisions made by domestic institutions, both when we like them and when we do not,” said Komsic.

He believes that “we will have to ensure the functioning of the state, the system, and the institutions, as we know and can.”

“When I speak about relying on our own forces and capacities, I do not mean simply taking up arms at a critical moment, but I mean taking responsibility for our own state. The time in which we turned to foreign ambassadors for help because this or that institution was not functioning is over. Even though this search for such a ‘nanny’ was laughable before, now it could be catastrophic. However, we are not an exception in Bosnia and Herzegovina in this regard. All of Europe is currently trying to consolidate itself for similar reasons,” Komsic stated.

He is of the opinion that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not the only one that now primarily has to rely on its own strength.

“The entire Europe faces this challenge, and if it wants its freedom, it will have to pay dearly for it or fight for it, as its great patron has withdrawn unconditional support. Therefore, our and Europe’s challenges are essentially the same, and if there is still something called Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path, it is precisely in the imperative that both Europe and Bosnia and Herzegovina must focus on themselves. In this sense, we must be clear that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Europe, no matter how we view Europe, share the same future, or should I say, the same destiny. This should be our most important foreign policy orientation in the future,” said Komsic.

In this, he sees an opportunity for the healing of both Europe and Bosnia and Herzegovina and the societal relations within it.

“No matter what challenges await us, and it is clear that they will not be easy, I am sure that Bosnia and Herzegovina will overcome them because we have already passed our most difficult tests of state self-assertion long ago, showing the world who we are and what we are. This state has a reason for its existence and survival. It is a natural and societal entity, not any ideological or political construct imposed by anyone. That entity, by its very nature, is specific, indivisible, and indestructible, like the love of the Bosnian people for their homeland, which has lasted for centuries and will continue as long as we exist. Dear citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, happy Independence Day,” concluded Komsic.

His Bosniak colleague in the Presidency, Becirovic, said that this holiday symbolizes "freedom, unity, and the right of citizens to express their democratic will".

"The results of the legal and democratic referendum for an independent, sovereign, and united Bosnia and Herzegovina were recognized by the entire world, and on May 22, 1992, our country became a full member of the United Nations. This is an epochal result that cannot be erased. The vast majority of the citizens of our country decided on March 1st to preserve a thousand-year-old past and open the doors to the future for our country. The citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not allow the history of our country to be trampled and did not allow the future to be one of division and occupation. The democratically expressed will of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina was defended by brave and honorable patriots during the brutal aggression on the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We owe them limitless respect and gratitude,” he said.

He further emphasized that millions of people who love Bosnia and Herzegovina, both in the country and abroad, follow the noblest idea – the idea of freedom.

“That is the strongest idea ever held by mankind, and it will remain so as long as human society exists. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a long-lived and resilient state. The centuries behind us undoubtedly confirm this. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a permanent international, historical, and political fact. No one can deny this. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a coherent entity for centuries. Renowned American historians Robert Donia and John Fine rightly stated: Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a unified entity for centuries. Our country is a centuries-old pluralistic society that proves that pluralism can successfully exist. Bosnia and Herzegovina has built a special cultural and spiritual value,” Becirovic said.

He then warned that the world we knew until February 2022 was not fair, but the new one being born is much more unjust and cruel.

“We must be cautious. We must face the truth: There are destructive individuals who, due to personal interest, endanger the collective interest of Bosniaks, Serbs, Croats, and all other citizens to live in peace and a secure environment. In order to implement this dark plan, they are trying to devastate the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The attacks on the institutions of the High Representative and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina are no accident. This is part of a dangerous plan to destroy the constitutional order and institutions that have the mandate and authority to stop anti-Dayton and anti-constitutional activities,” Becirovic stressed.

He then explained how the challenges and trials can be answered.

“Let us not forget, based on the provisions of the UN Charter and the Declaration on the Principles of International Law, which relate to friendly relations and cooperation among states, in accordance with the 1970 UN Charter, the right to self-defense is a basic right of every state. This right is an inseparable part of its sovereignty. The state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina are obliged to activate all available resources when necessary, to protect the state and all its citizens and peoples. On the foreign policy front, we must continue to develop and strengthen our strategic alliances diligently and daily. We must work in an organized and united manner. On the domestic political front, we must be much more cautious and prepared. We all have an obligation to uphold constitutionality, legality, and fight for the human rights of all citizens and peoples. This is our common interest,” Becirovic emphasized