MASTILOVIĆ: SARAJEVO SERBS’ SACRIFICE FORMED BORDERS OF STRONG REPUBLIC

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, MARCH 21 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education Draga Mastilović has stated today that the struggle and sacrifice of Sarajevo Serbs during the Defensive-Homeland War defined the borders of Republika Srpska, which has grown stronger and stronger over the past 30 years.

Mastilović said that, throughout history, it is difficult to find an example of a people defending themselves in such a way and, through a collective exodus, defining the borders of their country. "The struggle and suffering of Sarajevo Serbs must not be forgotten," Mastilović told reporters in Istočno Sarajevo, where he is participating in a roundtable on the topic "Eradication and Exodus of Sarajevo Serbs at the End of the 20th Century". He noted that the suffering and persecution of Serbs lasted throughout the entire 20th century and will be the subject of further research in the coming period. "Sarajevo Serbs suffered in the First World War, they were subjected to genocide in the Second World War, and finally in the 1990s these events came as the tip of the iceberg, with attempts to exterminate Serbs from these areas," Mastilović said. Mastilović emphasized that the Serb intellectual elite from Sarajevo was the driving force behind all political and social processes that led to the creation of Republika Srpska. "It is constantly emphasized that Sarajevo Serbs are among the greatest victims of the last war, and all institutions of Republika Srpska are obliged to treat that sacrifice with respect," Mastilović said. Mastilović warned that political Sarajevo has never, in 30 years, renounced its wartime goals, which he said continue to receive support from part of the international community. He expressed gratitude to the University of Istočno Sarajevo, the Institute of Historical Sciences, and the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Istočno Sarajevo, which, under the auspices of the City of Istočno Sarajevo, organized the roundtable and therefore contributed to marking 30 years since the exodus of Sarajevo Serbs. "It is very valuable that participants of the events are speaking at this gathering today, as their testimonies will remain as historical sources that scholars will use in the decades to come," Mastilović said. Mastilović announced that the Ministry for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of Republika Srpska will support the establishment of a documentation center within the Institute of Historical Sciences, which already holds tens of thousands of documents on the suffering of Sarajevo Serbs during the 20th century.