(as prepared) Thank you, Deputy Minister Brkic, and to NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, my fellow panelists, and the other participants. We are all here because we share the common goal of seeing Bosnia and Herzegovina move forward on its Euro-Atlantic path and demonstrating to all its citizens that their children can build a …
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Ambassador Strömquist, distinguished hosts from Transparency International BiH, guests from other Balkan countries, representatives of civil society. I am honored to be part of this conference. We continue to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, which was on December 9, as it merits special attention in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Corruption has perhaps never been more visible as …
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Good afternoon to students, parents, educators, and education officials across BiH. There is a direct correlation between the success of a country and the quality of its education system. Every country including BiH is facing an increasingly complex world and it is important for education systems to continuously adapt and improve so that the next generation will be equipped with the functional knowledge required to compete in a rapidly changing world. We now …
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Thank you Ambassador Kavalec, and welcome Ambassador Sattler. Also welcome to the everyone listening and taking part in this important discussion. An effective judicial system that combats corruption is fundamental to to BiH’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Year after year, various levels of the judicial system are failing. The justice sector and law enforcement are controlled more …
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I am delighted to welcome you all to this important event and want to thank the East-West Bridge and Mr Robert Jovanović and his team for organizing this conference and the six workshops that preceded it. I am pleased that East-West Bridge and participants in this event have decided to mark the 25th Anniversary of …
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Dobar dan. On behalf of the United States Embassy, I would like to thank the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States Air Forces in Europe for your efforts to plan, coordinate, and execute this first of its kind joint exercise between our two nations. The exercise builds our ability to function …
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Distinguished guests, I am honored to be involved in this important event to raise awareness and highlight best practices to combat fraud. You all know better than I that fraud and corruption are rampant in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Just last week, Transparency International presented preliminary findings on misuse of public funds by BiH political parties …
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Zdravo svim učenicima i edukatorima i onima koji se obrazuju cijeli život! Welcome to International Education Week 2020! International Education Week celebrates the importance and benefits of international education in the U.S. and around the world. Today, IEW is celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide. EducationUSA and the Embassy, and our partner American Councils …
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On behalf of the US Embassy, it’s a pleasure to salute everyone participating in Eco-Challenge this year. The U.S. Embassy is proud to have the NGO, Ruke, as our partner in this effort. They have done an excellent job of providing a platform for 134 teams and over 5,000 volunteers so far, who are making …
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On behalf of the US Embassy, it’s a pleasure to salute everyone participating in and supporting the 23rd Annual Project Citizen Finals. The U.S. Embassy has supported civic education in BiH with the Civitas team for more than two decades. Our goal is inspiring young people across BiH to work for positive change in their …
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Dobar dan svima! Its a pleasure to greet everyone participating today in Race for the Cure 2020. I remember fondly a beautiful sunny Sunday last year when we were together for Race for the Cure 2019. And I regret we are not together today in person. The US Embassy has been supporting Race for the Cure for five years because we believe it is important to bring people together around a common cause and create …
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Minister Podžić, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen… Today we commemorate the passing and honor the memory of Ambassador Robert Frasure, Doctor Joe Kruzel, Colonel Nelson Drew, and French Army Corporal Stefan Raoult. It has been twenty-five years since these four brave men, dedicated to finding a path to peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, lost their …
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Thank you, Vedran and INTERA Technology Park for organizing this event. To the BiH diaspora members who are with us online, I want to extend a special warm welcome. Despite the inability to travel and enjoy the beautiful Herzegovina landscape and food, your online presence is a clear indication of your strong commitment to developing …
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The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided $1 million to UNICEF in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to help the country respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and protect its citizens. This funding is an additional commitment from the USAID to UNICEF BiH for emergency response efforts during the crisis. Since …
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It is a great pleasure to welcome all of you here today! I am encouraged to see such a large number of prosecutors who, by coming to this event, have shown readiness and determination to fight corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina with all the means that they possess as individuals exercising important official powers. The …
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Thank you Senita for inviting me to join this event tonight. It’s an honor to be among so many people who are committed to supporting a better future for young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In my travels across BiH, I quickly came to the conclusion that the country’s greatest resource is not its rivers …
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Hello everyone! It’s wonderful to see you all here and to get a chance to meet some more BOLD members. First, I want to thank our wonderful partners here at VII Academy. I’ve talked a lot with Ron and Gary about their goals with this initiative and we know we have found a great partner …
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Dobro jutro! Good morning everyone. It is wonderful to be here at our American Corner in Mostar. I want to express my appreciation to the excellent staff here who do a great job of reaching out to this community and providing opportunities to the people of Mostar. I also want to thank Minister Hadzović for …
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It is a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to mark this major milestone for Lieutenant Colonel Shea and his family. Making it to Lieutenant Colonel is the mark of a successful career. Many officers never make it that far. Fewer still are selected to promotion to Colonel. The promotion we are about to …
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Americans tend to take for granted the diversity we experience throughout our lives. From our first day of primary school, we attend classes with students of different races, nationalities, and religions. As we watch each other play on the same playground and struggle with the same schoolwork, we learn that we are similar in so …
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It is always a pleasure to visit Banja Luka, particularly when I have the opportunity to mark a step forward in our partnership. Today, I am here to celebrate the award of 255,000 KM from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation to the Museum of Contemporary Modern Art of Republika Srpska. The U.S. Embassy …
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Good afternoon, everyone! We have much to celebrate today. We honor this year’s graduates of the Access English program, and welcome our newly selected students as they launch into their two-year Access journey. Thank you to all the parents in the room, who have traveled from, Tuzla, Travnik, Visoko, and Busovača. You can all be …
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Citizens around Sarajevo have seen and heard UH-1H Huey helicopters flying in and out of their base at Rajlovac for two decades. They have flown for many reasons, always ready to help the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Whether fighting forest fires, conducting flood relief, or providing life-saving medical evacuation, the Armed Forces of Bosnia …
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Ambassador Sattler, Director Salčin, distinguished guests from civil society. It is my honor to be with you here and to be part of this conference. Let me begin by saying that I am glad this event was organized jointly by the Public Procurement Agency and civil society. This shows a great level of trust and …
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Izuzetno sam sretan što sam danas ovdje kako bih najavio drugu fazu financijske podrške za Zemaljski muzej. It’s especially gratifying to be able to announce this grant only six months after celebrating the completion of the first phase of this project to preventatively conserve the important collections of the National Museum. This grant of over …
Read More» I am honored to address all of you at the opening session of this important conference. The theme of the conference is fraud awareness, but all of us are already aware of how pervasive fraud and corruption is in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fortunately, the conference panels go well beyond awareness to talk about preventing, combatting, …
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It is a pleasure for me to be standing inside/in front-of a high school named after someone who was so important to both U.S. history and your history, Nikola Tesla. In my travels I have seen numerous schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina that carry Nikola Tesla’s name, a name that connects our two peoples. He …
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Thank you Prime Minister Forto. The U.S. government and the people of the United States are committed to a secure, prosperous, united and confident future for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jorgan Andrews’ presence here today is one more example of that commitment. For this country to take its place among the …
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Hvala Monika! Dobar dan svima. Thank you very much for inviting me to be with you here today. I understand that this is the first of three conferences, and I can see that you are off to a great start. In my job, I often meet with politicians and business leaders, but my favorite group …
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It is my pleasure to celebrate today a ten year partnership between USAID and the Embassy of Sweden. Our FARMA project has helped BiH farmers become more competitive and integrated with EU markets. We’ve helped them improve quality standards, increase exports and sales, create jobs in rural areas. I congratulate the state Ministry of Foreign …
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Good afternoon, thank you for inviting me to speak with you today. I am pleased to have this opportunity to engage directly with members and prospective members of the American Chamber of Commerce. I understand how busy you all are and greatly appreciate the time you dedicated to attending this luncheon, so I will keep …
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Good Morning everyone. Thank you to the children and representatives of Jezero, Jajce and Mrkonjić Grad for the warm welcome. Today in Jezero, along the beautiful Pliva River, I’m delighted to see the youth, inspired by our April Earth Day Celebration, returning to celebrate our future through Jezero’s connection with NASA and the Mars landing …
Read More» In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the process of accounting for missing persons has been a remarkable success, more than 74 per cent of the 31,000 people who were missing at the end of the conflict have been found using a modern, rights-based, rule-of-law approach. However, more than 7,000 persons remain unaccounted for. Their families live in …
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LTG Masovic, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen… Today we remember and honor the memories of four brave men who tragically passed away twenty-four years ago in the service of their countries. Ambassador Robert Frasure, Doctor Joe Kruzel, and Colonel Nelson Drew, along with French Army Corporal Stefan Raoult perished while seeking an elusive peace to …
Read More» Prime Minister Forto, ladies and gentlemen. I extend a special warm welcome to the Bosnian diaspora attending this event. Your presence is a clear indication of your strong commitment to developing your homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the land you still love. I am excited to be here at Reconnect 2019, the fourth edition of this …
Read More» As we heard in the opening presentation, we expect that results from the PISA process will become a vital proof-point and guide for needed education reform in BiH. But explaining it to the broader audience without provoking a defensive response will require that we all speak with one voice. The International Community supports the common …
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Minister Pendeš, Deputy Minister Jusić, General Mašović, General Jerkić, General Knežević, officers and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending today’s ceremony. I am so happy to join you today to celebrate another advance for the AFBiH. These twenty Humvees represent a tiny fraction of a …
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President Komšić, President Džaferovic, honored guests and dear friends, welcome. Every July 4th, we celebrate the values that launched our nation. As President Trump states in our National Security Strategy, “Liberty, free enterprise, equal justice under the law, and the dignity of every human life are central to who we are as a people. We …
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Ambassador Nelson and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Palmer took a two-day road trip to visit Bihać and Banja Luka. During meetings with the Prime Minister of the Una-Sana Canton and the Mayor of Bihać, they discussed the importance of a coordinated and humane response to the migrant situation in BiH, and also visited …
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A team of Embassy volunteers joined the #vrijemedacistimo (Time to Clean) campaign in BiH, cleaning up the Vraca Memorial Park, a monument to the fighters and civilians killed in World War II. The clean-up was made a little sweeter by the baklava a kind neighbor brought to the team! The volunteers’ hard work did not …
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Ambassador Nelson spoke at a press event marking the completion of a series of projects undertaken at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of a $625,000 grant from the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. The award of this grant in 2015 was instrumental in helping the museum re-open, and supported a …
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On behalf of the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, good afternoon and welcome to this cyber security presentation and executive seminar with Cisco Systems. The Embassy is proud to support U.S. companies like Cisco, which deliver high-quality information-technology products to BiH businesses and government ministries. We are always looking for opportunities to connect American companies with …
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Dobro jutro svima. Hvala Majda i hvala načelniče Mašić na toploj dobrodošlici i važnim porukama. Drago mi je što sam danas ovdje sa grupom mladih političara koji su prava inspiracija. It is great to be in a room full of young people. You are always my favorite people to meet. Not only because you are …
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Hello everyone, it’s great to be here and thank you to NDI for inviting me. · I’m glad to be opening this conference along with Robert Benjamin from NDI, who has spent so much time dedicated to this country and this region. · Takođe, radujem se da čujem danas člana Predsjedništva Šefika Džaferovića kako on …
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Dobro veče i dobro došli u Sarajevo! Welcome to our reception this evening in honor of the American business delegation to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Annual Meeting. Welcome to the many business and government leaders from across Bosnia and Herzegovina who join us today, and welcome to the U.S. government delegation attending …
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Dobar dan svima. It gives me great pleasure to be here today with you to celebrate the opening of the historic and beautiful Aladža Mosque. I am happy to see so many people gathered here today, people of all faiths who have come out to see the return of their Aladža. I am proud that, …
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Thank you, Nina, and thank you to all the hardworking members of the Pod Lupom team for your relentless commitment to election transparency. Dobar dan svima. It is an honor to be here today. The theme of this meeting is critical for any country, but especially for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here, where you have elections …
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Ambassador Berton, Mr. Bizel, Mr. Lakic, Mr. deSanctis, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my pleasure to be here today to help call attention to the specter of corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as highlighted in the OSCE’s second assessment on monitoring of corruption trials in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Is there high-level corruption in …
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Thank you, Adnan. Good afternoon Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a pleasure to be here with you today. As many of you know, I am fairly new to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am still getting to know the country and its people. But one thing I have already heard, over and over, is that …
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Čast mi je što sam danas ovdje na obilježavanju Međunarodnog dana svjesnosti o opasnostima od mina. While most countries around the world mark this day abstractly, the sad truth is that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina are well aware of the horrendous and tragic damage caused by landmines. Almost 25 years after the war, …
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Good evening. I’m glad to have the chance to address you all at the Neum NetWork 9 Conference. I regret my travel schedule prevents me from being there in person. The IT sector is a fundamental part of the strength and success of the United States’ economy. It is a bright spot here in Bosnia …
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Good evening. I’m glad to have the chance to address you all at the Neum NetWork 9 Conference. I regret my travel schedule prevents me from being there in person. The IT sector is a fundamental part of the strength and success of the United States’ economy. It is a bright spot here in Bosnia …
Read More» Thank you, Peter, for that introduction and good evening to you all. It’s my great pleasure to be here tonight and finally have the chance to meet some of the incredible men and women working side-by-side with our USAID team to bring so many important developments and opportunities to the people of BiH. I started …
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Dobar dan. Hvala što ste mi se danas pridružili. Nastaviću na engleskom jeziku kako vam ne bih parao uši. I have had a very informative and engaging start to my tenure in BiH. I’ve appreciated the warm welcome and am quickly starting to feel at home. I welcome this opportunity today to discuss the United …
Read More» Dobro jutro svima. Hvala vam Borislave na toploj dobrodošlici. Drago mi je što sam danas ovdje sa grupom mladih političara koji su prava inspiracija. Let me start by congratulating each of you for having been chosen to participate in the Advanced Leadership in Politics Institute’s training program – a program that the U.S. Embassy and …
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Eric Nelson has arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina and today presented his credentials to the Chairman of the BiH Presidency as Ambassador of the United States. During the ceremony, Ambassador Nelson stressed: “I look forward to leading my government’s work here to advance prosperity, security, and respect for the rule of law benefiting all the …
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Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Dodik, it is a great honor for me to present my credentials to you today as U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I look forward to leading my government’s work here to advance prosperity, security, and respect for the rule of law benefitting all the citizens …
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U.S. Ambassador Eric Nelson, who will arrive soon in BiH, greets the people of this beautiful country in a video message.
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Ladies and Gentlemen, Presidents, Ministers, wonderful colleagues – First and foremost, I want to say Thank You to each and every one of you – for being here this evening, and for your partnership these last four years. I want to express my sincere appreciation … To those across the governments at all levels who …
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Ambassador’s Remarks for the Air Monitor Launch Event, June 1 Ministers and Directors, fellow Ambassadors, distinguished guests and friends, good morning and thank you for coming today to help us celebrate the arrival and launch of our air monitoring equipment. We’re especially pleased to have with us today Tima Hanley, a Lead Physical Scientist …
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The U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina is proud to announce that the data collected via air quality monitoring equipment recently installed on the Embassy compound is now available to the public. The equipment measures fine particulate matter (commonly referred to as PM 2.5 because they are less than or equal to 2.5 microns in …
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(as prepared) Secretary Greminger, Ambassadors, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: It’s my pleasure to be here today to help publicize the OSCE’s report on corruption trials. It’s important that we use this opportunity to talk about how corruption hurts everyone in BiH. Over the past year, the OSCE, using over $470,000 in funds donated by …
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On Tuesday, October 31, Ambassador Cormack joined Mirsad Vilic, Director of the BiH Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies, to officially open a state-of-the-art BiH Emergency Operations Center. The U.S. Government’s donation of $400,000 of radio and video equipment will enable the Center to better coordinate the BiH government’s response to crises, from natural disasters …
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Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much to Civitas for hosting me here in Neum, and to all of you, for partnering together on perhaps the most important challenge facing Bosnia and Herzegovina today. I addressed this conference two years ago, and many of us have worked very hard together during these two …
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On Friday, September 5, Ambassador Cormack spoke at an event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Prokosko Lake helicopter crash. Twenty years ago, twelve passengers died when their helicopter crashed into Prokosko mountain in dense fog. On board the flight were two separate delegations: a five person OHR delegation and a seven person UN delegation. Five …
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U.S. Ambassador to BiH Maureen Cormack met with a group of mayors for lunch on the margins of the “U.S. Business Promotion and Networking Forum” in Banja Luka on Friday, September 22. The lunch was an opportunity to discuss how the mayors have improved the business climates in their municipalities, focusing on the best methods to drive economic growth and ways the U.S. Embassy …
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The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo is hosting an annual Regional Chiefs of Mission Workshop for U.S. Ambassadors September 17-19. Participating in the workshop will be the U.S. Ambassadors to Albania, BiH, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. During the workshop, the Ambassadors will hold internal discussions related to common issues faced by U.S. missions …
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Today, Ambassador Cormack met with 20 participants in Coca-Cola’s “Coke Summership” program, which draws together students from universities in Sarajevo, Tuzla, Mostar, Banja Luka, Turkey, and Ireland. After congratulating the interns on being selected to such a highly competitive program, the Ambassador discussed her own career path and experience as the U.S. Ambassador to BiH. …
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Last night, we celebrated America’s 241st birthday by doing something a bit different. We decided to take a more casual approach to our Independence Day party this year, creating a traditional Country Fair with all the elements our friends from BiH needed to enjoy a real American experience. Fairs like this take place across our country every summer, …
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Presidency Chairman Ivanic, President Covic, President Izetbegovic, Ministers, Diplomatic Colleagues and distinguished guests, Dobro veče svima i dobro došli … to U.S. Embassy Sarajevo’s celebration of the 241st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America! We’re trying a new approach this year, and I’m impressed by how many of …
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The Ambassador said at the event on May 4, “The Embassy is proud to support Motorola, a company known for supplying high-quality communications systems and devices to customers around the world. As the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, I welcome opportunities like this conference to support U.S. businesses and to strengthen the economic relationship …
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Speaking at a ceremony to mark the completion of the Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) project for the internal reconstruction of the Red Cross Society building, Ambassador Cormack noted that with the completion of this restoration project, we mark not only the rebirth of this important building, we look toward the future; a future …
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Ambassador Cormack and Prof. Nedzad Korajlic, Dean of the Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Security Studies Faculty in Sarajevo, opened the “American Room” – a computer laboratory established with a $30,000 donation from the United States. The facility will be used by students for a joint U.S. Embassy – University of Sarajevo Court Observation Project. The …
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Ambassador Cormack opened BiH’s second “Night at the Museum” (but first overnight experience) which offered hands-on learning experiences for participants from elementary and secondary schools across BiH. Designed by BiH’s NGO Center for Democracy and Education CIVITAS, and the event’s host the National Museum of BiH, the program gathered over 250 students who spent the …
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On March 23, Ambassador Cormack delivered a $3.5 million donation to the Armed Forces of BiH during a ceremony at Rajlovac barracks. The donation of 24 HMMWVs provided by the U.S. government increased the capacity of the BiH Armed Forces. During the ceremony, Ambassador noted that this donation is a clear and unmistakable symbol of U.S. commitment …
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Acclaimed writer and Nobel Prize Winner Ivo Andrić has written a story about the Bridge on Žepa river, a 16th century incredible monument to the history of Eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Starting in 2012, the United States, through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation and in partnership with the BiH Commission to Preserve National …
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U.S. Ambassador Cormack’s statement on U.S. sanctions against Milorad Dodik
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Chairman Zvizdic, Distinguished Ministers and Colleagues, Honored Guests — good evening. As the United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is an honor to host each of you for our Independence Day Celebration. Dobrodosli and welcome. I would like to give a special welcome to the 22 U.S.-affiliated businesses that contributed their support to …
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This March, while in Washington, Ambassador Cormack visited The Phillips Collection and the exhibit of artwork created by aspiring artists, students and teachers from BiH. Last fall, the Phillips Collection partnered with U.S. Department of State to facilitate a series of workshops in BiH. Phillips Collection educators spent two weeks in Sarajevo, Mostar and Trebinje, …
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Addressing participants at Saturday’s session of the Igman Initiative, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, Ambassador Cormack emphasized that BiH is at a crossroads, with more effort needed to advance towards EU and NATO membership. She called for more decisive engagement in all fields in implementing the Reform Agenda, and noted …
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Faculty, parents, friends, dignified guests, and the graduating class of 2015 – it is my great pleasure to address you all today at the sixth commencement ceremony of the American University of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Congratulations to the AUBiH community—and especially the graduating class of 2015 – on reaching this occasion. I want to thank …
Read More» Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening. As United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is an honor to host each of you this evening. Dobrodošli and welcome. “President Ivanic, President Izetbegovic, Chairman Zvizdic, Ministers, Excellencies, Eminences , ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for being with us tonight. I would …
Read More» Ambassador Maureen Cormack officially welcomed participants to a Counter-Terrorism Workshop in Sarajevo hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice in order to encourage cooperation between investigators and prosecutors. The two-day event held at the Hotel Hollywood features American counter-terrorism experts and their counterparts from SIPA and the BiH Prosecutor’s Office providing insight on how to …
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Honoring the day of community service in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr., Ambassador Cormack joined young people from East Sarajevo and Sarajevo who spent a day volunteering at the Senior Living Facility in East Sarajevo. Ambassador Cormack stressed that the event highlights one of the most important aspects of a democracy – the role …
Read More» United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Maureen Cormack presented her credentials to Dr. Mladen Ivanic, Chairman of the BiH Presidency, on January 16. Ambassador Cormack said: “I have the privilege here in BiH of building on the very strong, historic ties that bind our two nations together. I look forward to working with you …
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