The Minister of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska, Prof. Draga Mastilović PhD, stated today that it is important for students to be familiar with the historical facts regarding the continuity of the Serbian people's presence in the Sarajevo area, as well as west of the River Drina, in order to counter attempts to distort history.

At a student conference in Pale marking 30 years since the exodus of Serbs from Sarajevo, Minister Mastilović emphasised that it is important to speak about both the continuity of existence and the suffering of Serbs in that area."

"It is important for students and young people to know the fundamental historical facts about the existence of Serbs in this area, so that no one can mislead them tomorrow with claims that Serbs only appeared here in the 19th century, or even that Serbs in Sarajevo disappeared at the end of the 20th century," said Minister Mastilović.

He stressed that numerous historical sources testify to a much longer presence of the Serbian people in these regions.

"History has its sources, and they undoubtedly show that Serbs have been mentioned in this area since the ninth century, more precisely since the year 822. That is why it is important for younger generations to be familiar with these facts," the minister stated.

He added that this is precisely why it is necessary to cultivate a culture of remembrance and to pass on historical truths to future generations.

According to him, Sarajevo has not renounced its objectives, and that is why attacks on the Republic of Srpska are continuing.

"That is why we must stand at its borders so that the sacrifice of the Sarajevo victims is not rendered meaningless, as well as the sacrifice of all those who defended the Republic of Srpska," said Minister Mastilović.

The Rector of the University of Istočno Sarajevo, Milan Kulić, stated that the exodus of Sarajevo Serbs in February and March 1996 was one of the most harrowing events in the recent history of the Serbian people. He emphasised that it is important to preserve the memory of that period so that similar suffering is never repeated. He noted that Sarajevo Serbs were forced to leave their homes, describing it as a true biblical exodus of people who carried their deceased relatives with them. Kulić added that Serbs left Sarajevo at that time because they knew that, in the part of BiH which, under the Dayton Agreement, did not belong to the Republic of Srpska, there would be no survival for them.

"The decision of Sarajevo Serbs to leave their homes in 1996 was an act of pride, as they refused to remain under Muslim rule, and therefore the memory of this action must be a covenant for future generations," said the President of SNSD, Milorad Dodik.

Speaking in Pale, Dodik said it is a sad fact that Sarajevo Serbs had to leave their centuries-old homes three decades ago, homes they had previously defended heroically during the war. He recalled that he was in Pale that year, where the leadership of the Republic of Srpska was in session.

"I was one of the representatives who wanted to visit the column, and we went towards Lukavica. I saw people in columns in extremely cold weather, there was heavy snow, but no one wanted to or even considered returning," he said.

He emphasised that Sarajevo Serbs are the most affected part of the Serbian population and the group that contributed the most to the Republic of Srpska. Dodik pointed out that, in the meantime, Pale has been developed and is now several times larger than it was three decades ago, that Istočno Sarajevo has emerged as an urban entity, and that the municipalities in this area are now connected by a modern road via Jahorina.

"We have raised Jahorina to a much higher level than anyone could have imagined. We are building faculties, the university, the rectorate—everything that was necessary. We are constructing new accommodation facilities for pupils and students," Dodik stated.

The Mayor of Istočno Sarajevo, Ljubiša Ćosić, emphasised that students are the backbone of a functioning society and that they must not forget how the Republic of Srpska was created. He thanked the Student Union of the Republic of Srpska and the Student Parliament of the University of Istočno Sarajevo for organising today's student conference "30 Years Since the Exodus of Sarajevo Serbs", as well as the Government of the Republic of Srpska, the President, and everyone who continuously supports faculties and students. He recalled that students from Vogošća, Ilidža, Grbavica and Pale, even in the most difficult wartime conditions, demonstrated that faculties in the Republic of Srpska could continue to function. Ćosić said that young people at the time showed they could defend the Republic of Srpska both with arms and intellectually.

According to him, over the past 20 years, thanks to the Republic of Srpska—primarily its Government and leadership—student standards have significantly improved, and the number of students at the University of Istočno Sarajevo has been growing.

The President of the Student Parliament of the University of Istočno Sarajevo, Milan Savić, said that the exodus of Sarajevo Serbs is one of the most harrowing events in the history of the Serbian people. He stressed that students, as future members of the academic community, are the future of the Republic of Srpska, and that the future belongs to those who remember their past the longest.

"We are generations born after all these tragic events, and it is very important that we preserve a culture of remembrance," Savić said.

The Vice-President of the Student Union of the Republic of Srpska, Nikola Lapčević, said that today students from all 17 organisational units of the University of Istočno Sarajevo have gathered with the aim of ensuring that the tragic scenes of the exodus of Sarajevo Serbs in February and March 1996 are not forgotten.

"Our task is to remember, to preserve our Republic of Srpska in peace, and to defend it through knowledge," Lapčević stated.