Alzheimer Internacional - Fundació Pasqual Maragall

Pasqual Maragall travelled to Sarajevo to participate in tributes celebrations to mark Sarajevo Day and to receive the honour of honorary citizenship of the city of Sarajevo. This honour was granted in recognition of the numerous acts of solidarity promoted during his period as mayor of Barcelona that began during the war and which has continued to this day.

A delegation from the Barcelona municipal council, led by first deputy mayor Carles Martí and Manel Vila, the head of international cooperation and solidarity, accompanied the President on the trip. He was also joined by a large group of friends and collaborators who had played an active role in the reconstruction, aid and solidarity programs provided by the city of Barcelona to Sarajevo during and after the war, including Albert Batlle, Joan M. Tintoré, Carles Bosch and Eric Hauck.

The President attended various presentation held to commemorate Sarajevo Day, including various tributes to the victims of the war such the Suada Dilberovic and Olga Sucic bridge. He travelled through the city and visited the site of the local democracy embassy inaugurated by Barcelona in 1996.

The plaques of the city of Sarajevo were presented to the ambassadors of Spain, Hungary, Austria, Croatia and Italy at a presentation held in the National Library, representing the countries that played a role in Sarajevo’s reconstruction. Later, at the National Theatre, Pasqual Maragall received from the mayor of Sarajevo the title of Honorary Citizen of the City. During his emotional address, the President recalled the war years, when images of the Olympic Games shared the stage with images of the destruction and tragedy that was unfolding in Sarajevo, and reaffirmed the ties of friendship that unite these two cities, expressing his admiration and respects for the citizens of Sarajevo.

During his stay, the President met with Tarik Kuposovik, the mayor of Sarajevo during the war, and Jovan Divjak, a Serbian general who led the defence of the city during the siege. A number of personalities, such as current Sarajevo mayor Semiha Borovac and José María Castroviejo, the Spanish ambassador to Bosnia, attended the various presentations.

Maragall and Sarajevo

The siege of Sarajevo began on 6 April 1992. During the Barcelona Olympic Games that year, the mayor of Sarajevo called on all Olympic cities to help Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Barcelona responded by forming a solidarity committee with the participation of a large number of citizens’ organisations. In October, the first convoy was sent with 200 tonnes of humanitarian assistance. By late 1996, more than 40 convoys carrying more than 2,000 tonnes of assistance had been sent to Bosnia by various organisations in Catalonia.