30th Anniversary of the Pan-European Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Pan-European Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the Pan-European Union, in cooperation with the Human Brotherhood Foundation, organised an international conference entitled “Peace as the Foundation, European Integration as the Future of BH” in Sarajevo on 14 and 15 November 2025.
More than 160 participants from France, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia and Serbia attended the conference.
Among the invited speakers were participants in the Dayton peace negotiations, as well as representatives of state, entity, cantonal and municipal authorities, the diplomatic corps, international organisations and the academic community.
In four thematic panels, participants discussed the legacy of peace, Euro-Atlantic integration, regional cooperation and the prospects of the Western Balkans within a shared European future.
The conference concluded with a discussion and the adoption of a Joint Declaration on Peace and the European Future of BH, which has been submitted to the competent institutions.
In his opening address, the President of the Pan-European Union of BH, Franjo Topić, stressed that peace is not everything, but that without peace, everything is nothing. He recalled the many areas of armed conflict currently existing in the world and highlighted the importance of educating young people for peace.
The Vice-President of the Pan-European Union of BH, Mirko Pejanović, noted that BH is a post-conflict, post-socialist and poor society which suffered the destruction of its economy and infrastructure during the war. It can hardly complete the negotiation process with the EU without the support of the institutions of the European Union and the international community. The OHR, as the supreme interpreter of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which continues to be contested, remains necessary for BH until the country approaches EU and NATO membership.
The Chair of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BH, Kemal Ademović, expressed the hope that in 30 years BH will be reformed, with European standards embedded in a new Constitution, and that it will be a full member of NATO and the EU.
The Head of the OSCE Mission in BH, Ambassador Richard Holtzapple, stated that the key to unlocking the potential of BH is the political will to implement reforms and the will to believe in BH. He particularly emphasised the importance of the political will to make progress on the path towards European integration as an expression of the aspirations of citizens.
The President of the International Pan-European Union, Pavo Barišić, conveyed a message that Europe without Bosnia and Herzegovina and the countries of South-East Europe is not complete. The European Union must continue its enlargement. Bosnia and Herzegovina reflects the European experience of coexistence in dialogue and cooperation among people of different religious, national and cultural backgrounds. It overcomes obstacles that hinder transport, communication and development. For these evident European values, its citizens deserve to be offered a hand towards the swiftest possible accession to the European Union.
A delegation comprising the President of the French Committee and Vice-President of the International Pan-European Union, Éric Campion, the President of the International and Croatian Pan-European Union, Pavo Barišić, and the Vice-President of the Pan-European Union of BH, Jasmina Pašalić, was received by the Ambassador of the French Republic to Bosnia and Herzegovina, François Delmas. On that occasion, the delegation laid wreaths at the memorial to the 84 French soldiers who died in Sarajevo between 1992 and 1998.
On Sunday 16 November 2025, the conference participants attended Mass in Sarajevo’s Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, celebrated by Monsignor Ivo Tomašević, with the guest church choir from Kaštel Kambelovac providing the singing.
Programme (EN) (PDF)