The Diplomat
In the city of San Cristóbal de la Laguna on the island of Tenerife, and with the presence of Ambassador Vesna Andree Zaimović, the Honorary Consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Canary Islands was inaugurated on Friday, September 20, with Consul Ángel Luis Pérez Quintero as its head.
The Honorary Consulate is located in the historic center of the city under UNESCO protection, on the busy pedestrian street San Agustín, 52.
The opening ceremony, attended by high-ranking dignitaries of cultural and public life, was held at the Orfeón de Paz cultural center. On that occasion, an exhibition was held as part of the 12 Days of Peace event, featuring eight famous posters by the renowned Bosnian artist Ismar Mujezinović, created for the XIV Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in 1984, and organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the UN Mission in BiH with the aim of linking the International Days of Peace (21 September) and NO violence (2 October).
The ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vesna Andree Zaimović, in her welcome speech highlighted the potential economic, tourist, educational and cultural exchanges between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Canary Islands as one of the Autonomous Regions of the Kingdom of Spain. As to the theme and title of the exhibition Olympic spirit unites the world, he emphasized in particular the need to promote non-violence, dialogue, solidarity, cooperation and peacekeeping through our actions.
During the inauguration of the Consulate, a certificate of appreciation was presented to Fernando de Paz on behalf of the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tenerife citizen who during the war and in the post-war years of the Balkan country organized the reception and accommodation of more than 100 refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina on this island. The event was attended by, among others, retired Brigadier General Emilio Abad Ripoll, who was commander of the Spanish troops in the peace mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The opening organized by the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Peace Orpheon Cultural Centre (a meeting place for amateur artists and musicians since 1915) also featured the performance of the Peace Orpheon quartet, whose music evokes the richness of the diversity of cultures and nations that inhabit the Canary Islands.
