With many cultural and sports events taken place on April 22, the city of Banja Luka celebrated its day. The events had been prepared by the city administration in cooperation with city organizations, cultural and sports institutions and NGOs.

Banja Luka celebrates April 22 as its day due to its being liberated from fascists on the same date in 1945. The date was taken by Banja Luka`s citizens, who made an enormous contribution to anti-fascist fight for freedom, peace, justice and human dignity, as the beginning of a new life of development and prosperity in the region.   

The events that are prepared on the occasion of celebrating the Day of the city are the opportunity for cultural, spiritual, sports, scientific and other achievements of our co-citizens and institutions to be appreciated and promoted. That is why the best individuals and teams get awarded by the Banja Luka City Council on the occasion of the Day of Banja Luka.

The day of the city is also an opportunity for visits paid by friends from other cities. It was like that this time too. The celebration was honored by the presence of guests from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kaiserslautern and Graz. During the reception made in honor of the guests arrived Mayor Dragoljub Davidović said: "This is an opportunity to meet our friends and talk about various topics. We have made use of the opportunity today to analyze our so far cooperation, which was evaluated as very successful. We also agreed on expanding our cooperation to various fields and on exchanging proposals and projects at the end of the year for concrete cooperation to take place in the next year".

The main celebration event was the official ceremony, which took place on April 22. During the ceremony awards were presented to meritorious individuals and teams.

GUESTS` IMPRESSIONS ABOUT BANJA LUKA

Susanne Wimmer-Leonhardt, the Mayor of Kaiserslautern, pointed out that that was her first visit paid to Banja Luka since she took up office and that she was impressed by the hospitality of our citizens and the city management.
„I was particularly impressed by the natural beauty of the Vrbas river canyon, where you can experience untouched nature. Judging from what I have seen at the Rafting Center, I am positive that the World Rafting Championships will turn out to be a huge success", Susanne Wimmer-Leonhardt said.

Živko Makarić, a member of the NoviSad City Council in charge of finance said that he was honored and pleased to bein Banja Luka to join its citizens in celebrating the Day of their city.
„Novi Sad and Banja Luka share manylongtime friendships and successful cooperation. We have agreed on the necessityto strengthen and expand the cooperation in the period to come", Makarić pointedout.

 Zoran Alimpić, the Belgrade CityCouncil Vice Chairman, also wished the citizens ofBanja Luka.
"It is not necessary to expatiate onthe close relations betweenBanja LukaandBelgrade, the capital ofSerbia. Thoserelations are of a special kind and we have been in a continuous contact. Thisis a solemn and formal occasion that allows us to meet again and talk about thecurrent economic downturn and the measures thatBelgradeandBanjaLukaundertake in that regard. Those measures seem to bequite similar. That proves that we got used to manage crises and that we shallsuccessfully cope with this one too if we unite our strengths and potential",Alimpić said.