The event started in the municipality of Gorazde, where the selected beneficiaries signed the contracts for reconstruction, followed by site visits to see some of the houses in the municipalities of Gorazde and Foca that have already received building material and started reconstruction works. Besides Minister Borovac, a number of high level officials from the local government, Republika Srpska, Federation BiH and international community participated at the event in Gorazde. Among them, Mr Edin Ramic, Minister for Refugees and Displaced Persons of the Federation BiH; Mr Massimo Mina, Acting Head of Operations, Delegation of the European Union in BiH; Mr Bryan Wockley, U.S. Embassy in BiH; Mr Olivier Mouquet, Operations Manager at UNHCR BiH; Mr Alexander Chuplygin, Deputy Head of Mission at OSCE BiH; Mr Stephan Sellen, Deputy Director General at CEB; Mr Emir Okovic, Prime Minister of Bosansko-podrinjski canton.

Mr Massimo Mina emphasized that RHP is an impressive and ambitious programme, the final results of which greatly depend on the provision of adequate sustainability measures. He also reminded that the European Union is the biggest donor to the RHP, under which EUR 101 million should finance projects in BiH.

Mr Sellen said that he was honoured to witness this very important step in the implementation of RHP in BiH, paving the way for many more similar events in the future. He also used the occasion to announce that a new Grant Agreement for the sub-project BiH3, consisting of construction of 438 apartments, will be signed this week between BiH and the CEB. Once signed, the implementation can start.

The family of Rasim Cengic was the first RHP beneficiary in BiH to receive a package of construction material. Mr Cengic explained that he has been waiting for this since 1996, when he returned to his destroyed house. His wife and daughter were both wounded in war. He expressed his gratitude to the donors in the name of his family members and his countrymen who will also receive help for reconstruction of their houses thanks to RHP.

Mr Guta Serif, together with his 12 family members, returned from Sarajevo to his damaged house, where they all live out of EUR 150/month which they receive as assistance for one child with health problems. Their house is located in a mountain village with difficult access, where some winters bring two metres of snow.