Among other things, Delić stated that the rebirth of Skenderija is imperative.
"Skenderija collapsed again today, during the Book Fair, at a place where people came for culture, knowledge, and gatherings, only to be met with yet another proof that the problem we have been ignoring for years has not disappeared—it is simply repeating itself," he said.
He emphasized that these are no longer incidents.
"This is no longer an incident that happened and passed; this is a continuous pattern of collapse that persistently brings us back to the same question we avoid. Back in 2022, when I was Minister of Economy and Skenderija was under my jurisdiction, I said that its rebirth is imperative—not because we want to erase what Skenderija is, but because we want to preserve what Skenderija represents in a way that does not endanger people," he stressed.
He also explained that the structure is dilapidated.
"At that time, I tried to simply state what is again obvious today: the sentiment toward Skenderija is real and justified, but the building's structure is worn out, the damage is severe, and the decay process is irreversible. That is not a political stance; it is a fact that anyone who walks through that space can see. We had a major collapse in 2012, and we have another one today, and each time we say the same thing: fortunately, there were no casualties. How many more times will we be lucky before we ask ourselves what we are actually doing? Because this is not about whether we will preserve Skenderija or not. It is about whether we can combine sentiment with responsibility. Sentiment alone protects no one. It does not protect a child walking under the structure, it does not protect a family coming to an event, it does not protect anyone who enters that space," he stated.
He stressed that such situations are resolved without hesitation elsewhere in the world.
"Wembley Stadium did not disappear when it was demolished; it became better, safer, and more functional. The Kaaba has been rebuilt throughout history, and the Masjid al-Haram complex has been expanded. Neither sentiment nor value was lost. No one there had to choose between memory, respect, and safety; they found a way to combine them. And that is what we are not doing today. Therefore, any further delay is not neutral, it is not 'waiting for a better solution'—it is a conscious acceptance of risk. Any policy that does not make a decision to resolve the Skenderija issue today becomes complicit in what could be the consequence of the next collapse. We can preserve sentiment, but what good is sentiment if one day we have to explain why we did not react in time? The decision is not easy, but if there is any wisdom... either we will have a Skenderija that is safe and functional, or we will have a problem that repeats itself until it becomes a tragedy. But we will beat our chests saying, 'We won't give up Skenderija,'" Delić concluded.