Youth Conference in Banja Luka

Thirty young Pan-Europeans from Germany, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina met on 8 June 2023 for a conference at the Maria Star European Centre for Peace and Cooperation in Banja Luka. This was the central event of the Pan-European Youth Study Tour to Bosnia-Herzegovina, which took place from 8 to 11 June 2023.

The conference specifically discussed the European perspective of Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as other countries in South-East Europe that wish to become members of the European Union.

The Declaration adopted at the end of the conference stresses in particular that the young people of the Pan-European Union support the continuation of the European Union's enlargement process in this part of Europe, bearing in mind that Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Northern Macedonia and Serbia should become full members of the European Union, while calling on EU bodies and institutions to encourage and help them to fulfil the necessary criteria.

‘We encourage EU representatives and decision-makers to take into account the specific political and legal situation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the negotiation process. We believe that the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the cultural and economic benefit of all its citizens, can only be achieved in the EU by respecting the democratic processes and carefully established institutions, the equality of the three peoples and the protection of the human rights of all citizens,’ reads the Declaration.

The Bishop of Banja Luka, Mgr Franjo Komarica, the Deputy Mayor of Banja Luka, Milada Šukalo, the Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in Banja Luka, Zoran Piličić, the Secretary General of the International Pan-European Union and the President of the Croatian Pan-European Union, Pavo Barišić, Deputy Secretary General of the International Pan-European Union and Secretary General of the Croatian Pan-European Union Vanja Gavran and Vice-President of the German Pan-European Union Andreas Raab participated in the panel as speakers.

In their speeches, they encouraged young people to become even more involved in building a Europe founded on its values of freedom and peace, and stressed the importance of the venue for the conference, which inherited the great tradition of the Trappist monks responsible for the spiritual, educational, cultural and economic development of Banja Luka in 19th and 20th centuries. It was proposed that the Pan-European conference of young people from all European countries should be held once a year, precisely in the European Centre for Peace and Cooperation 'Maria Star' in Banja Luka.

The conference, which was held under the auspices of the Vice-President of Republika Srpska, Davor Pranjić, was part of a study tour for young people during which they visited Sarajevo as well as Banja Luka.

After the conference, a mass was celebrated in the parish church on the occasion of Corpus Christi.

• Programme of the Youth Study Tour (DE) (PDF)
• Declaration (EN) (PDF)