I participated in the scientific conference of the International Academy of Sciences and Arts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, entitled “Tradition and the Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Perspectives for Progress”, which was held at the Dubrovnik Hotel in Zenica on 22 December 2025.

As part of the conference programme, I delivered two presentations: “Peace as a Foundation – European Integration as the Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina” and “The Humanist from Srebrenica, Juraj Dragišić, in Defence of Human Dignity – Apologies for Bessarion, Mirandola, Savonarola, and Reuchlin”.

The conference was organised by the Department of Humanities of the International Academy. The President of the Organising Committee was the Academy member Prof Dževad Zečić, PhD.

The focus of the conference was a critical examination of the role of cultural and historical heritage in shaping visions of a desirable future for the state.

In my introductory address, I emphasised the following: “Bosnia and Herzegovina is a living mirror of European coexistence in diversity. By its very nature, it is connected to the European Union and belongs to its community. Three decades of reliance on the Dayton Peace Agreement testify to the efforts and achievements made in overcoming obstacles that have hindered freedom of movement, communication, and development. The peace-building efforts and the commitment to European values demonstrated daily by citizens deserve recognition in the form of the fastest and fullest possible membership in the European Union. Enlargement is not an act of mercy, but a response to the legitimate aspirations of the people—and at the same time an expression of European responsibility. It is time to translate this responsibility into action, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and within European institutions.”

Programme and Booklet of Abstracts (HR PDF)