In the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports the first meeting was organised today between minister Vlaisavljević and Adisa Žero, who on 21 November 2024 was authorised by the Office of the High Representative to represent the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NUBBIH) after retirement of the former Director of the Library, Ismet Ovčina.

Minister Vlaisavljević welcomed the guest and emphasised that she was entirely willing on behalf of the Ministry to take part in the systematic and legal resolution of the issues faced by the NUBBIH. She also pointed out that she was not willing to support partial and populistic solutions.

Žero presented the actual situation in the NUBBIH, and rebellion of its employees who did not receive their salaries for months. She also mentioned many financial issues gathered over years that are, unfortunately, not systematically resolved.

Vlaisavljević and Žero, further, discussed possible reasons why the NUBBIH had never returned to its original premises after the City Hall of Sarajevo had been reconstructed in 2014 and why they still worked in the rented premises. According to the Minister, the most reasonable solution was to return the valuable fund of the NUBBIH, which was unfortunately damaged by damp in the current premises, as pointed out by Žero, to the Sarajevo City Hall, where it actually belonged. They also discussed the new University Library, which was being built in the vicinity of the current NUBBIH premises, as well as the potential owners. Minister Vlaisavljević did not receive any information about the status of the new library.

It was concluded at the end of the meeting that numerous outstanding questions remain without an answer, but they will have to be discussed seriously soon, to the best interest of the institution of national importance. Minister Vlaisavljević assured the guest that the Federal Minister of Culture and Sports would be at full disposal in the process.