On November 25, 1943, under conditions of Nazi occupation and quisling terror, the citizens and peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by the National Liberation Movement, which consisted of various groups of democratically oriented citizens, succeeded at restoring the statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It was a historic success which many who fell in the fight against occupiers and traitors were not fortunate enough to experience, as were those who, in the decades preceding it, made a significant contribution to preserving the idea of ​​Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent and sovereign state, through the political struggle for the autonomy of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Their dreams of an autonomous status for Bosnia and Herzegovina, both in relation to the empires of the East and the empires of the West, as well as in relation to political Belgrade and political Zagreb, were fulfilled by the fighters of the National Liberation Movement by constituting the Republic with ZAVNOBiH, with Sarajevo as its capital.

The historical step forward that was thus made was not only the fulfillment of the idea of ​​an autonomous position for Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also a pledge for the future and a signpost on the path to independence and sovereignty.

November 25th is nothing but the birthplace of March 1st. These are the foundations of the statehood and independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although sometimes it seems and perhaps, too often, a dilemma arises as to whether these foundations are sufficient for the survival and progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina, today, in this solemn hour, it should be pointed out that many empires, states and para-states have disappeared, and Bosnia and Herzegovina survived!

It has not been blown away by numerous geopolitical storms precisely because of the foundations that make up its framework. Therefore, we must appreciate more what we have, because nothing we have is by chance.

Some new geopolitical storms will surely blow, and it is us who love this country or the generations which come after us will have some kind of shelter here.

It depends on us whether, how and in what way, on these foundations, we will fortify it for what the future holds.

We cannot and should not expect anyone other than us here to establish and fix the state framework we have. We must be the ones who will strengthen the supporting pillars of our statehood in the face of challenges that will certainly not bypass us.

Appreciating what we have, with awareness of the reality in which we live, I am convinced that we will continue to think about the idea of ​​Bosnia and Herzegovina in a way that we will never give up on the fact that this country should be a state for all its citizens, that we will continue to fight for this idea that is not decades old, but centuries old.

Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina today carry the same flag of freedom before the European courts that was carried by the partisans in 1943 and that was carried by the fighters of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the MUP (The Ministry of Internal Affairs) of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And that fight itself is like that again, I would say partisan.

We do not have any funds or bags of money with which to buy justice, although, in the world as it is, we should have them too. We have none of that political corruption and unprincipledness which subordinates all morality to self-interest, although, in the world as it is, we should have such too.

Generally speaking, as citizens who want a normal state, we have very little that makes us strong, but I am convinced that no matter how some processes end in which the possibility of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a normal civil state is called into question, there will always be someone who will continue the fight until the final victory.

Finally, I would like to emphasize that any future struggle for Bosnia and Herzegovina will depend on how much of our own strength and knowledge we gather. Bosnia and Herzegovina can be proud of the people it has produced over the past 81 years from ZAVNOBiH. These people, with their strength and acquired knowledge, have preserved the state framework that we possess. And one more message. A message to those who deny the statehood, but also the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is all in vain!

On November 25, 1943, after several centuries, this country restored its statehood.

On March 1, 1992, it gained its independence.

For centuries, they trampled on it, burned it, destroyed it, devastated it, both the country and our way of life, but they didn't succeed.

At one time it seemed that they had caused us irreparable damage. It seemed that every generation of our people, at least once in their life, had to collide with evil and that they had no other choice but to oppose it with all their might.

There is no doubt, as things now stand, that both our enemies and our false friends will continue to try.

Our country, in the emerging world, will be exposed to pressures and challenges, they will break us, they will ask us to bend our backs, they will blackmail us arrogantly and conceitedly, they will use everything they can only to divide us, but we will not give up our statehood and independence.

There is no giving up on Bosnia and Herzegovina!

Long live our only, Bosnia and Herzegovina!

I wish all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina a happy Statehood Day.