Thousands of visitors at the Diplomatic Winter Bazaar in Sarajevo

This year’s message is: “Together We Can Do a Lot.” The mission of the bazaar is to bring together the local and international community and raise funds for organizations that support children.

David Badower, chair of the Diplomatic Bazaar Organizing Committee, emphasized that the event is excellently organized and that they expect more than 10,000 visitors today at Skenderija.

“Today we have 43 embassies and organizations, 17 local entrepreneurs, and five international schools. There are also around a thousand volunteers helping us. We have two goals: to bring together the local and international community, and to raise funds for organizations across Bosnia and Herzegovina that support the needs of children and young people,” Badower said.

Brigadier General Matthew Valas, Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, said this is an exceptional event and that he is pleased NATO is taking part actively for the first time.

“NATO’s primary mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to support defence and security sector reforms. The Diplomatic Bazaar is a wonderful opportunity for us to show that we can help citizens who are in need. We are glad that our colleagues from the international community have welcomed us warmly and that we can be here together,” Valas said.

The Ambassador of Qatar to BiH, Meshaal bin Ali Al-Attiyah, noted that they are participating again this year and are happy to join many embassies and organizations in supporting NGOs dedicated to children’s welfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He added that the Qatari embassy’s stand offers its richest display so far, allowing visitors to taste traditional Qatari dishes and Arabic coffee, and to view souvenirs and toys that reflect Qatar’s rich cultural heritage.

“The Embassy of the State of Qatar remains committed to charitable projects and to supporting initiatives aimed at helping the most vulnerable groups in society. In this way, we reaffirm the strong friendship between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar, which for 32 years has been built on stable and fruitful bilateral relations. This event also shows that together we are stronger,” the ambassador said.