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, following our initial work through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, the Republic of Turkey and the people of Foča joined in to finish rebuilding this symbol of diversity and tolerance.
By helping to preserve cultural sites, the United States shows our respect for other cultures by protecting their traditions.
Cultural sites foster continuity with the past and ensure a cultural inheritance for future generations.
Cultural sites endure as monuments to human achievement, and Aladža Mosque should serve as a monument to resilience and reconciliation.
The painful history of Foča will never, and should never, be forgotten. Our hope is that the reconstruction of Aladža Mosque will bring healing and renewal to all the people of Foča.
We all came together to bring Aladža back to Foča. And we must do more.
We must work together to ensure that all peoples and all faiths have a rightful place not only in Foča but throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The history of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a history of diversity. Today we celebrate the opening of Aladža Mosque. Let us all celebrate every day the diversity of this beautiful country.
Hvala Vam!
