Following the celebration of Europe Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2017 on the 9th of May, the Delegation of the European Movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina headed by its President Predrag Prastalo and Vice President Stefan Milic will tomorrow, on Wednesday the 17th May 2017 in Zagreb City Hall hand over to Mayor Milan Bandic the award of the “Order of the Citizens of B&H and the European Movement.” Although the Mayor of Zagreb Milan Bandic has spent a significant part of his working life in Croatia, where he has until now performed a number of significant and responsible socio-political functions , he has never forgotten, nor ignored his native country, the needs and interests of ordinary people, and always makes the utmost effort to promote the friendship and partnership of our states, societies and people. The order of the citizens and the European Movement in BiH is given to Milan Bandic for his long-term and constant engagement, support and lobbying in favor of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the process of social and European integration and his support for building good neighborly relations, friendship, commitment to the reconciliation process and better understanding of our peoples in this part of Europe, supporting the regional partnership and cooperation of Western Balkan states and local communities, as well as the special development of economic and social cooperation between the City of Zagreb, the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and the local communities in B&H.

Although Milan Bandić was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina and lives and works in Croatia, the mayor of Zagreb has “the common good” of the wider region at heart and represents the best example of a leader with a cosmopolitan spirit, who in the past two decades has considerably enriched and contributed to progress. The charm and multiculturalism of Zagreb has been enhanced in the period of Bandic’s five past mandates during which it grew from a regional city to a European metropolis, to the pride of all the inhabitants of the capital but also Croatia as a whole. The European Movement of Croatia, who have made a strong contribution to the process of Croatia’s accession to the EU, will also be be represented by the distinguished lawyer Natasa Owens, Vice President of the European Movement International headquartered in Brussels.