Juan David Latorre
Last Thursday, 16 October, the ambassador Vesna Andree Zaimović inaugurated in the city of Terrassa (province of Barcelona) the Honorary Consulate of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the region of Catalonia and took possession the new Honorary Consul, Jordi Simó Surinach, industrial, athlete and investor in the Balkan country.
The symbolic act of cutting the ribbon at the location of the Honorary Consulate (in Carrera de Colom, 408, 08223 Terrassa) was carried out by the mayor of Terrassa, Jordi Ballart Pastor; the ambassador Vesna Andree Zaimović, and the honorary consul Jordi Simó Surinach.
The solemn ceremony, in the presence of a hundred guests, was held in the historic Cecot room. The event was attended by representatives of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the National Police of Spain, the Civil Guard, the Mossos d’Esquadra, the consular body of Barcelona, representatives of the City Council, entrepreneurs, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and friends.
After interpreting the national hymns of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Spain, the ambassador referred in her speech to the historical connection at the state and regional level between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Kingdom of Spain and the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. “Not long ago, he noted, the war in my country ended with the Dayton Peace Agreement signed in November 1995. During the years of war destruction and subsequent reconstruction, Spanish military units made a major contribution to peacekeeping. The participation of more than 46,000 Spanish troops, including the army, civil guard and other bodies, was fundamental, and we will never forget it, and I express my deep gratitude. The friendship between our two countries is very strong.”
“While Bosnia and Herzegovina was going through its most difficult days, continued Vesna Andree Zaimović, the Autonomous Community of Catalonia showed special support, affection and friendship to my people. While my city, Sarajevo, was under siege-the longest in modern war history-, Barcelona showed its support and created its famous 11th District, a symbolic reminder of the need to preserve the spirit of freedom of Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
During her speech, the Bosnian ambassador recalled the exciting parade of athletes from the already independent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Olympic Games in Barcelona. “The tears and the cheers with which they were greeted in the stadium. The Olympic spirit is something that unites us permanently, which still today celebrates the legacy of the XIV Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. His fellow citizen and world citizen, Juan Antonio Samaranch, was then president of the International Olympic Committee, and today his memory is preserved in the Olympic Pavilion in Sarajevo, which bears his name.”
“There are countless links that link the Catalan cities with Bosnia and Herzegovina, said the Bosnian ambassador. Among them, a community of Bosniacs still lives here today who, during the war, were forced into exile and found their new home in Catalonia. But today we are also talking about new and happier migrations: tourism. Thousands of my country’s citizens visit the tourist destinations in Catalonia and throughout Spain every year. For a year now, we are proud that Sarajevo International Airport is directly connected to Catalonia through the Girona-Costa Brava Airport. With particular satisfaction we note that this connection has also contributed to the significant increase in Spanish tourists visiting my country, where they enjoy its natural beauty and historical sites, its gastronomy and, above all, the hospitality of our people.”
The new Honorary Consul, Jordi Simó Surinach, in his speech, stressed that the new consulate will be a point of economic, tourist, educational, cultural, sports, institutional and civic dialogue between the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Expressed his gratitude to the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina for their trust, as well as to the former Honorary Consul, Ramon Jufresa, who retired.
The mayor of Terrassa, Jordi Pallart Pastor, wished the Honorary Consulate “much success in its work”, expressing special pride for being the first consulate to be inaugurated in this city.
The guests watched with interest a film about the beauty and potential of Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by a concert by the duo Evoeh. These Barcelona musicians build bridges between cultures with their rich repertoire. Among other things, they perform traditional Bosnian music “Sevdalinka”, declared a cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO, as well as Sephardic songs from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Ladin language.
In addition to this newly opened consulate, Bosnia and Herzegovina has honorary consulates in Alicante and Tenerife.
