B&H Presidency Member Šefik Džaferović said today in Ilijaš that March 1 is one of the most important dates in the overall history of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Attending the solemn session of the Ilijaš Municipal Council on the occasion of the day of that municipality and the Independence Day of B&H, Džaferović said that on that date in 1992, after centuries of being part of other empires, B&H became an internationally recognized and independent state.

-This is an achievement that is rarely made in history, and it was achieved by a generation led by the first president of the Presidency of independent BiH, Alija Izetbegović- Džaferović pointed out.

He added that it was a turbulent time when great-power ideologies were on the rise and in the worst way intended to destroy and divide B&H.

Džaferović stated that those ideologies did not succeed then and that they will never succeed thanks to BiH patriots who had the strength to organize a referendum in which nearly two-thirds of the citizens voted for independence.

He reminded that the aggression started then, but that Bosnia and Herzegovina were defended and continued to function in peace.

-I use this opportunity to congratulate all the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Independence Day- said Džaferović.

The Mayor of Ilijaš, Akif Fazlić, underlined that 25 years ago, in accordance with the Dayton Agreement, that municipality was reintegrated into the constitutional and legal order of the Federation of B&H.

-On February 26, 1996, FB&H Interior Ministry units and representatives of local authorities entered Ilijaš, and that day meant the final unblocking of the B&H capital and the beginning of the return of more than 10,000 of our fellow citizens,” said Fazlić.

At the solemn session, plaques were presented to deserving collectives and individuals.