Bosnian leader first official visit for PM
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed Dragan Cˇ ovic´, chairman of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Parliament yesterday.
Cˇ ovic´ - the current chair of a rotating three-person body that makes up the presidency - first met with outgoing speaker David Carter.
This was Ardern’s first official state visit as Prime Minister, although she had received Irish President Michael Higgins as Prime Minister-designate. The delegation was somewhat early, so had to wait for close to 10 minutes for Ardern to arrive.
‘‘Can I on behalf of New Zealanders extend our warmest welcome to you, and it’s timely that you are here now to mark the 25th anniversary as it were of our official diplomatic relationship, so warmest welcomes,’’ Ardern said.
The country - commonly known simply as ‘‘Bosnia’’ - gained independence from the collapsing state of Yugoslavia in 1992. Through an interpreter, Cˇ ovic´ thanked New Zealand for that diplomatic recognition. ‘‘It was a very important time for us.’’
Ardern noted that New Zealand defence forces had helped out with peacekeeping in the region, which was beset by war and massacres, for 15 years - something she said not many New Zealanders would know about. Four observers were sent to the former Yugoslavian region in March 1992. They were later joined by five more military observers, two of whom were seriously injured while serving a UN mission. This was the first military deployment New Zealand had made since the Vietnam war.
Cˇ ovic´ is in New Zealand after a trip to Australia, where he visited Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne. He is the Croat representative within the Presidency, and became chairman in July. The full presidency always has a Croat member, a Bosniak, and a Serb, who share the four-year term.