JAVOR: ALL INVESTORS ARE WELCOME, BUT IT MUST BE KNOWN WHO IS BEHIND THEM

BANJA LUKA, JULY 19 /SRNA/ - Prijedor Mayor Slobodan Javor said that all investments in Kozara are welcome, but that it must be known who is behind them and what their intentions are.

Commenting on a letter from a company whose name is associated with a well-known group from the Arab countries, expressing interest in purchasing the "Monument" Hotel at Mrakovica, Javor said that the public, the institutions of Republika Srpska, and the City of Prijedor must be involved in every decision concerning Kozara, a mountain of national and historical significance. "An advertisement appears on some website saying that someone from Sarajevo, without a clear address or company history, wants to buy the hotel. I do not make any distinction whatsoever as to whether a potential investor is a Serb, Croat, Bosniak, a member of a national minority, or anything else. The only thing that matters is their intention," Javor said. He emphasized that all investors are welcome, but that this is solely a matter of transparency, responsibility, and respect for the victims. "It must be known what is behind the purchase of the hotel - financial gain or someone's intention to distort history," Javor said, adding that the significance of Kozara must not be disregarded. He pointed out that Mrakovica is not an ordinary mountain, and that the "Monument" Hotel is not a location of little importance to the Serbian people. "Kozara is a mountain where every path, every stone, and every tree is soaked with the blood of our innocent ancestors who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom. It was a battle between good and evil, between freedom and slavery, between life and death," Javor emphasized. He recalled that 23,000 children were torn from their mothers' arms on Kozara and taken to camps, along with tens of thousands of our ancestors. "They were killed in the camps simply because they were Serbs. Today, as people who respect the legacy of the National Liberation Struggle, we want to talk about this and pass it on to future generations, so that they know what happened here and remember their ancestors and the victims," Javor told RTRS. He emphasized that this is crucial and that, for this reason, he wants the public to be involved in making any decision regarding the "Monument" Hotel. "We want to know who is behind the company that submitted the offer. What are their plans? Will they respect the victims the way we do? What guarantees are there for Republika Srpska? And do they see Mount Kozara in the same way we do?" Javor said. Javor added that the importance of the Battle of Kozara for the Serbian people is also reflected in the fact that the anniversary is jointly commemorated by the governments of Republika Srpska and Serbia. "That is why we want this place to be sacred for everyone who comes there. We want it to be a place where history, education, and respect come together, a place where a culture of remembrance is built," Javor concluded.