The Ambassador of Bosnia in Spain, Vesna Andree Zaimovic, presided over yesterday at the Nivaria Hotel in La Laguna the opening ceremony of the first honorary consulate of the Balkan country in the Canary Islands, which will be based in Aguere. Specifically, at number 52 on the pedestrian – and beautiful – San Agustín street. The new consul, Ángel Pérez Quintero, accompanied the ambassador during an event attended by the highest civilian and military authorities of Tenerife.
Ceremony
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An institutional handshake opened the ceremony yesterday afternoon, followed by the formal speeches on the platform set up in the distinguished hotel establishment in La Laguna.
Diplomacy
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Zaimovic replaced Danka Savic eight months ago – she will complete that time on June 2 – who had been in the position for four years. The diplomat emphasises the potential relationship between Bosnia and the Canary Islands and Tenerife in economic sectors and areas such as tourism, craftsmanship, or the protection of natural resources and biodiversity. She finds many similarities between this land and hers. For example, the blend of cultures and the tolerance in coexistence.
First-hand Experience
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Vesna experienced the war in her country (1992-1995), when it was still part of Yugoslavia, first-hand from her native Sarajevo, where she volunteered at the 1988 Olympics. She believes that one must look towards a future that involves a clear European vocation that should translate into joining the EU.
Refugees
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Before visiting the Island for the first time, Zaimovic knew that some of her compatriots had sought refuge from the war in the north of Tenerife, which she “infinitely appreciates” to the initiator of the initiative, Fernando de Paz. The Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina recalls that around 3,500 Bosnians with dual nationality and 1,200 with Bosnian nationality reside in Spain.
Satisfaction
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Ángel Pérez Quintero values: “For me, being the honorary consul of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Canary Islands is not only an honour and a pride but also an enormous responsibility.” He adds that it is a “dual feeling” because “I have received the position following the approval of two governments: that of Bosnia, in Sarajevo, and the Spanish one, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.” Hence “the dual responsibility”. Pérez Quintero emphasises: “My mission, my interest is to promote the interests of the Canary Islands and Bosnia and Herzegovina, creating relationships in trade, research, and culture between these two areas of Europe.”
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Precedent
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Sarajevo, Mostar, Srebrenica… Names that echo through the fog of memory of the last, harsh, and uncivil Balkan War, which led to the disintegration of Yugoslavia into six republics. All geographical references correspond to Bosnia-Herzegovina, one of those six countries that emerged from the paradise of self-management in Tito’s times. It was the focus of the exhibition curated by Ángel Pérez Quintero in June 2022 at the Royal Economic Society of Friends of Tenerife (RSEAPT) in La Laguna.
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