Bosnia Herzegovina Exclusive
Accompanied by over 100 businessmen on a two-day official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Abdullah Gül exclaimed: “The agony of the Balkan peoples is our agony and their peace is our peace!”
President Abdullah Gül, on the first day of his visit, held a joint press conference with the Head of the Bosnia and Herzegovinian Presidential Council, Haris Sladjic.
President’s Schedule in Mostar
Drawing attention to the fact that Turkey is an integral part of the Balkans, President Gül asserted: “Turkey displays her friendship to all the ethnic and religious groups with the same sensitivity and sincerity.”
International Burch University and International University of Sarajevo
Pointing out that over 100 businessmen are accompanying him on his visit, he also mentioned his wish that more investment should be made across Bosnia and Herzegovina by Turkish entrepreneurs.
Afterwards, the President addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Başçarşı
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AFTER DAYTON AGREEMENT
The whole world is following the developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the signing of the Dayton Agreement, said the President, saying: “I am among those having an optimistic approach towards the developments there. The events your peoples from different ethnic and religious groups went through during the 1990s have created a very harsh social trauma. This is a fact also relevant to the other states and peoples emerging from the former Yugoslavia. While you think of your own situation, you should not forget that your neighbours too have gone through similar experiences. What is important is to be in unity and accordance so as not to allow them to recur.”
Tomb of Alija Izetbegovic
GÜL: IT IS OUR MORAL OBLIGATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BALKANS
Turkey’s approach towards the Balkans has been shaped upon the basis of the common values, mutual interests and a common vision and further maintained that Turkey champions the permanent peace and stability in the region. “The peace of the Balkans is our peace and their agony is our agony!” he exclaimed.
President’s Address to the Bosnia-Herzegovinian Parliamentary Assembly
TURKEY-BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA BUSINESS FORUM
Delivering a speech at the Turkey-Bosnia and Herzegovina Business Forum, President Gül, laying emphasis upon the bilateral commercial ties between the two countries, declared: “I attach greater importance to investments beyond commerce.” During his speech at the Turkey-Bosnia and Herzegovina Business Forum that he attended as part of his program in this country, President Gül stated that Bosnia-Herzegovina has a special place in the hearts of the Turkish public.
Turkey-Bosnia and Herzegovina Business Forum
The President continued his speech as follows: “I have reiterated during our talks that Bosnia-Herzegovina should advance on the path to the EU and NATO and that to achieve this, necessary reforms and constitutional amendments ought to be made. Once it has become a member of these institutions, Bosnia-Herzegovina will be much more valuable and its future will be more determined and brighter under the umbrella of NATO and EU, thus raising its standards to the EU levels. Hesitations and distrustfulness will not be seen at all. When all these have been realized, businessmen will invest in this country much more.”
Welcoming Ceremony and Joint Press Conference
ENERGY POTENTIAL OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
The President, drawing attention to the huge potential of Bosnia-Herzegovina which has the greatest volume of water resources besides other ones, noted: “This is a huge field of cooperation indeed. Besides, there are other fields such as mining, husbandry and agriculture in which we can cooperate. Turkey is very experienced a country in hydro-electric power plants.” He later called upon Turkish businessmen to invest in Bosnia-Herzegovina, particularly in the energy field.
BAŞÇARŞI
After the business forum, President Gül visited Başçarşı where he chatted with shopkeepers, one of whom presented the President a work he had made.
YUNUS EMRE TURKISH CULTURE CENTER IN SARAJEVO
Having attended the official diner given in his honor by the Head of the Presidential Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina, President Abdullah Gül and the First Lady paid a visit to Yunus Emre Turkish Culture Center in Sarajevo, where they also attended the inauguration of the AA award winning photo exhibition of Anadolu Agency on the occasion of the signing ceremony between the AA and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina News Agency (FENA) and of the Sarajevo branch of the AA.
As part of his schedule in Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Abdullah Gül separately received High Representative Valentin Inzko and the members of the Inter-Religion Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the second day of his visit to this country.
Yunus Emre Culture Center
Afterwards, the First Couple paid a visit to International Burch University in Sarajevo on the occasion of the inauguration ceremony of a new building of the university during which Sladjic of Bosnia and Herzegovina attended as well.
PRESIDENT’S VISIT TO THE TOMB OF ALIJA IZETBEGOVİC
Later, the First Couple visited the tomb of the former Bosnian President, Alija Izetbegovic and afterwards they paid a visit to Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque in Çarşıbaşı where the President performed the Friday Prayer. He then chatted for a while with people who were waiting for him.
GÜL’S SCHEDULE IN MOSTAR
Having completed his program in Sarajevo, the President visited the city of Mostar, where he inspected Sarı Saltuk Dervish Lodge, Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque and the Turkish Consulate General. He later received the Croatian Mayor of Mostar, Lubo Beslic and the Bosnian Chairman of the City Council, Murad Coric. Afterwards, he explored the Old Bridge of Mostar and around it.