Foreign minister pays tribute to slain Catalan photojournalist on Balkans trip

On May 17, 1992, the vehicle carrying Catalan freelance photographer Jordi Pujol Puente was blown up in the city of Sarajevo, killing the 25 year old and making him the first journalist to be killed in the Bosnian War.

Catalonia's foreign action minister, Alfred Bosch, was in Sarajevo on Thursday and paid tribute to the Catalan photojournalist on his visit to the Balkans, the area involved in the armed conflict that saw the breakup of Yugoslavia between 1992 and 1995.

Bosch began his trip in Croatia, where on Wednesday he met with the president of the country's Varaždin County, Radimir Čačić, after which he stressed the "strengthening" of relations between Catalonia and Croatia.

Collaboration between Catalonia and Croatia

According to Bosch, the meeting helped explore "many areas for collaboration" and he expressed his hope that it would encourage other local players, such as chambers of commerce and industry, to become more involved.

Čačić welcomed the meeting with the Catalan delegation, but questioned why the prime minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, had not officially received the foreign action minister and the government's delegate to the Balkans, Eric Hauck.

"Perhaps there are people belonging to certain parties who can be pressured. No one has put pressure on us because we are completely independent in our decisions," said Čačić, referring to "probable pressure" from Spanish diplomats to shun Bosch's visit.

On Wednesday evening, Bosch was in the Croatian capital of Zagreb to inaugurate the 'European Dignity' program, with a rendition of the 'Katalonika Harmonija' rhapsody, composed and performed by master pianist, Matej Mestrović.