Sarajevo should not be regarded simply as a place where an assassination triggered WWI, said the mayor, a popular figure among city citizens.

“We will send the message of peace, hope and tolerance; the message that misunderstandings can be overcome,” he said.

“These are important messages, especially for the young people. They must have hope and faith for the future,” Komsic added.

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie were shot dead in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb.

Komsic said the assassination should not be viewed as an isolated event, and that it is a job for historians to do research and find relevant answers.

The WWI was one of the greatest tragedies in the history of humankind, and the war should continue to be a subject for scrutiny, he said.

People should commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI with the focus on how to avoid such tragedies in the future, Komsic added.

Source: www.shangaidaily.com