Bosnia Academics Honour Croatian President

Bosnian academics bestowed the honorary Isa-bey Ishakovic award, named after the 15th-century founder of Sarajevo, on Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on Thursday to underline the importance of good relations between Bosnia and Croatia.

"This award is especially dear to me as to a member of the Croatian people, a people whose history on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a part of its national history as well as being ...an important part of Bosnia and Herzegovina itself," she said at the ceremony on Thursday night in Sarajevo's National Theatre.

The ceremony was followed by a concert of Bosnian and Croatian musicians.

The Croatian President said that she would continue to insist on the equality of all the constituent peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as promoting its EU path.

The Isa-bey Ishakovic award, founded in 2005, was previously given to Slovenian President Borut Pahor, former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

The reception for Grabar-Kitarovic formed part of her three-day visit to Bosnia.

Before the ceremony, she met Bosnian Presidency members Dragan Covic and Bakir Izetbegovic, to discuss regional cooperation and bilateral relations, and Bosnian Cardinal Vinko Puljic, Archbishop of Vrhbosna, the head of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina with whom she discussed the position of Croats in the country.

"Croats are not looking for any kind of privileges but only to have equal rights like other peoples," Puljic later told the media.

Following her visit to Sarajevo on Thursday, Grabar-Kitarovic will hold meetings with political and religious leaders in Mostar on Friday and in Banja Luka on Saturday.