By Ivan Kesic
Relations between Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina are rooted in history and the Islamic Republic has always supported the Balkan nation’s positions, a Bosnian commentator says.
In an interview with the TV Press SiteAdmir Lisica, a veteran journalist and historian from Bosnia and Herzegovina specializing in geopolitical relations between the Balkan region and the Muslim world, said Bosniaks appreciate Iran’s historic support for their country.
“Iran has never questioned our foreign policy relations. Even in the past, when Bosnia and Herzegovina had to make certain decisions at the UN, Iran never exerted pressure,” he said.
Iran was one of the first countries to come to the aid of Bosnian Muslims during the devastating war in the early 1990s and the two countries have maintained close ties ever since.
During a meeting with his Bosnian counterpart in December last year, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reaffirmed Iran’s support for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We consider the Balkan region and Bosnia as our friend and, as in the past, we will continue to support this region and Bosnia,” Amir Abdollahian said at a joint press conference with Bisera Turkovic in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Lisica said there are many commonalities between the two nations and people-to-people exchanges are very frequent, and she hopes relations will further strengthen in the coming years.
“We from Bosnia and Herzegovina are linked to Iran by history and other things. For example, we can never forget how much Iran helped Bosnia and Herzegovina in the war, which is extremely important for us, and we must emphasize that Iran never asked for anything from Bosnia and Herzegovina. come back,” he said in a conversation with the TV Press Site.
Regarding the pressure facing the Bosnian government to cut ties with Muslim countries, Lisica said the right-wing wave has recently swept through France, Hungary, Italy, Spain and other countries, and that Such a policy favors the spread of Islamophobia, which can affect the work of Muslim countries. political structures and the formation of public opinion everywhere, including in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I would not blame any particular party, nor would I say that the animosity comes from a specific country, but from right-wing politicians and right-wing politicians operating across the European continent,” he noted.
Regarding the perception of Iran in the Bosnian media, Lisica said that a general perception within the entire Bosnian nation is that Iran is “considered a great civilization, a historical place and a famous culture.”
“Iran is an interesting destination for tourists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, we have travel agencies that regularly take our people to Tehran and other cities,” he told the newspaper. Presse TV website.
“The general belief in Bosnia and Herzegovina is that Iran is a friendly country, they are grateful to Iran for not interfering in our foreign policy and in the political decisions we make as a European country.”
The Bosnian journalist hopes that Iran and other parties to the 2015 nuclear deal will reach consensus on reviving the deal and lifting sanctions on Iran, which he says would allow Bosnia to strengthen its economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic.