Subject: meeting of eminent persons, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who live and work in Germany, on 27. August 2022 in Frankfurt am Main.
On Saturday 27. August 2022, a gathering of eminent persons, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who live and work in Germany, was held in Frankfurt am Main. The meeting was attended by prominent personalities, among others, members of the German Parliament, AdisAhmetovi? and Boris Mijatovi?. Bosnia and Herzegovina's diplomacy was represented by Began Muhi? (Consul General of Bosnia and Hercegovina in Germany), Visnja Lon?ar (Consul General of Bosnia and Hercegovina in Germany), Edina Jusufovi? (Consul of Bosnia and Hercegovina in Germany), as well as DaliborJurki? (Honorary Consul of Guinea in Bosnia and Hercegovina). The meeting was also attended by prominent figures from the world of sports, VahidHalilhodžic and Adnan Cati?.
Among the intellectuals, the gathering was attended by Prof. Vahudin Žugor, Prof. Azim Cauševi?, Dr. Edvin Destanovi?, Dr. DamirSmajlovi?, Dr. Ensaf Begi?, Dr. Amira Mezetovi?, Dr. Amra Hodzic, Dr. Emina Kopi?, Dr. Azir Kopi?, Dr. Adnan Mahmutovi? from Sweden, Dr. DamirSofti?, Dr. Elvir Rami?, Dr. Samir Smaji?, Dr. Midhat Dizdarevi?, Dr. Adis Basara, lawyer Amina Smaji?, designer at VW Omer Halilhodži?, engineer Kenan Kova?evi?, economist AdisTanovi?, Advija Inbrahimovi? higher medicine, lawyer Husein Peratovi?, architect from Sweden Meho Kapo and Alden Pervan (master's degree in International and European law). The attendees were addressed via video link by Dr. FarisVehabovi? (judge of the European Court of Human Rights), Prof. Dr. Emir Rami? (President of the Institute for Genocide Research in Canada)
Ajla Delki? as representative of the Washington Council, Dr. Denis Begi? from the Swedish Parliament, plastic surgeon Dr. Mahira Tanovi?from New York, Dr. Emir Festi? from the United States of America, Dr. Nura Festi? from the United States of America, Dr. Adnan Begovi?, Dr. Vedka Begovi?, Dr. Sabina Omerhodži?, Dr. Adnan Hadžihasanovi?, Dr. Azra Tanovi?.
The executive board adopted the following conclusions with an absolute majority:
Aware of the moment of historical importance and the position of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an internationally recognised State, a member of the United Nations, we, prominent intellectuals, doctors of science, academics, engineers and other prominent members of Bosnia and Herzegovina associations outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who live outside the motherland, today we are present at the meeting in Frankfurt am Main, and we stand for a:
-Sovereign, internationally recognised and unifiedBosnia and Herzegovina;
- Democratic and modern Bosnia and Hercegovina based on the rule of law;
- European Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on international human rights and freedoms as part of the United Nations Convention and all European conventions and protocols on human rights and freedoms;
- Bosnia and Herzegovina of equal citizens and peoples, enjoying full civil and human rights and freedoms, following the example of other European Union States;
- Bosnia and Herzegovina as an equal member of the European Union and NATO;
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, where constitutional and electoral reforms will be carried out and implemented on the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with all relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (Sejdi?-Finci, Pilav, Zorni?, Pudari? and Šlaku), which will also prevent discriminatory favoring of ethnic constituent groups.
We are encouraged by the information and grateful to the current government of the Federal Republic of Germany for the initiative to amend the legislation that regulates the possibility of obtaining German citizenship without the need to renounce the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, living outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina, strongly condemn the unprincipled imposition of the election law of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the High Representative, which would put the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina in an unequal position, which would lead to an even greater deepening of ethnic divisions at the expense of the civic concept.
We send the initiative to the competent institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Council of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina to establish a ministry for the native population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, settled outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, or within the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees to strengthen the department for domiciled Bosnian population,settled outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who would continuously work on strengthening the institutional ties of the Bosnian emigration with the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the structure of which citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who live outside its borders would be included.
We propose to the government of the Federal Republic of Germany to operationally implement the principles adopted in the Bundestag resolution.
We propose to the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the legislative bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina to enable voting at polling stations in all major cities where domiciled Bosnian residents, living outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, live, and that the embassies of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the receiving country should give the above possibility to our citizens to vote in the host country. We ask for a central register of voters outside Bosnia and Herzegovina to be created so that we have accurate numbers oncitizens of Bosnia and Hercegovina living inemigration.
We appeal to citizens who live outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina to work together on projects that will aim to preserve the native language and cultural identity of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.