prijava
WASHINGTON/SARAJEVO, May 3 (FENA) - An upcoming gala dinner to be held on 5 May, Saturday, organized by the BiH Advisory Council, is undoubtedly an extremely important event for BiH and its diaspora. A special guest will be former US President Bill Clinton.
“Our visibility and importance must be constantly upheld in the United States, such are the circumstances and needs. Bearing in mind that the BiH Diaspora in the United States is the largest, most educated and the most important, brilliance is the term I want to use on this occasion when I speak about our gala event. Strengthening the role of the Advisory Council on representing the interests of BiH becomes more importance with each new day,” Adnan Hadrović, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Advisory Council, told FENA.
In his words, the Diaspora and our communities around the world have an indirect, and in a way indispensable role as a sort of leverage in all future solutions for the currently very complex situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We are tirelessly working to ensure that the United States remains engaged and informed on the issues concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are working on stimulating the BiH community in the US to be actively engaged in political processes from which BiH, in the long run, will undoubtedly have a number of benefits,” said Hadrović.
The Advisory Council works closely with policymakers in Washington to voice their views and improve relations between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of integrating BiH into NATO and the European Union.
These efforts have resulted in recognition of the importance of BiH in the key institutions, primarily the US Congress.
Many members of the Council have been involved in the process of drafting the Srebrenica Resolution, and the Congress Club for BiH now has 22 members. They also point out the excellent cooperation with the US Embassy in BiH.
“The gala event is also a good opportunity to once again thank the United States for everything it has done to stop the war of aggression on BiH. The Council wishes to express its gratitude to American policymakers on both sides (Democrats and Republicans) who have showed great courage and who fought for justice during the aggression on BiH.
The Council, by organizing this gala dinner, also wishes to mark the 75th anniversary of the BiH statehood and the 11th anniversary of the establishment of the Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina,” stated Hadrović.
Former President Bill Clinton will be a special guest at the gala dinner. President Clinton will on this occasion receive a lifetime achievement award, which the Council last year awarded to former US Vice President Joe Biden and senator Bob Dole.
“We are careful in maintaining a balance and inviting key representatives of both, Republicans and Democrats,” Hadrović emphasized.
This year, a special award will be presented to Haris Silajdžić, a former member of the BiH Presidency, and to generals with four general stars Gordon Sullivan and Wesley Clark, the former NATO commander for Europe.
The awards will also be presented to Sanela Diane Jenkins, a businesswoman and philanthropist, then to a representative of the Hastor Foundation, for helping children and youth in BiH. Among the recipients of this year's award are documentary filmmaker and writer Bill Carter, an honorary citizen of Sarajevo, and a captain in the US Army Ermin Mujezinović.
Hadrović says that this gala dinner comes at a time when the public in BiH is asking and expecting a stronger engagement of the United States in BiH, especially due to increasingly aggressive Russian politics towards BiH.
“I believe events like this one at the highest level are of exceptional importance for promoting the interests of BiH, Bosnian Americans and the country in general. Visibility is a key concept, we are here to enhance visibility - to put at the forefront our interests, our culture and our political needs,” concluded Hadrović in an interview with FENA.
(FENA) S. R.
