Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr Denis Zvizdić, participates in the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Platform for Crimea

“Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr Denis Zvizdić, is participating in the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Platform for Crimea, organized by the Parliaments of the Czech Republic and Ukraine. The summit is taking place in Prague and is attended by representatives from more than fifty countries.

During the opening plenary session, addresses were given by, among others, the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Marketa Pekarova Adamova, the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, Miloš Vystrčil, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and via video link, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Dr Denis Zvizdić, during his address, emphasized that the world has witnessed the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian people for freedom and survival, drawing parallels with Bosnia and Herzegovina's experience, which was also subjected to aggression just thirty years ago.

He stressed the importance of the international community continuing to provide military and any other assistance to Ukraine. "I hope that the lesson has been learned from the horrific experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina when an embargo was imposed on the import of weapons and the right to defence was denied, while the world closed its eyes to the terrible crimes suffered by the Bosniak people, culminating in the genocide in Srebrenica. We must not allow something similar to happen in Ukraine or any other part of the world, especially in the Middle East. It is necessary to establish an international court for the prosecution of all war crimes committed on the territory of Ukraine as soon as possible. A similar court was established for the former Yugoslavia, and although it did not achieve absolute justice, it fulfilled an important historical task by defining certain legal facts through a series of verdicts. It clearly defined who the war criminals are and who are the people who fought honourably for the freedom and sovereignty of their homeland," stated Dr Zvizdić during his address.

He also emphasized that the world is currently facing a series of global challenges and added: "We all need to condemn every attack on an internationally recognized state. In doing so, we protect ourselves and our right to freedom. If we do not stand up for freedom and democracy in every part of the world, we will not be able to advocate for these values in our own country," said Dr Denis Zvizdić, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, during his address.

The Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Czech Republic, Martina Mlinarević, is also attending the summit." (Statement from the Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Denis Zvizdić)