Bob Dole named honorary citizen of Sarajevo

Former U.S. Senator Bob Dole is now an honorary citizen of the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Dole’s office in Washington said Wednesday that Dole received the honor in a ceremony Tuesday at Sarajevo’s National Theatre.

Dole got the award for his “extraordinary merit and contribution in stopping the aggression and preserving Bosnia and Herzegovina” 20 years ago, according to a statement from his office on Wednesday. Sarajevo is the capital of the Balkan country.

Dole has said his bipartisan work in the Senate back then was one of his proudest achievements because it ended a great deal of killing. Both Republican and Democratic senators collaborated with him to bring about peace, he has said.

While Dole was unable to attend the ceremony, in a letter read at the ceremony, he said, “I feel privileged to be associated with your great city, which endured a genocide that constituted Europe’s darkest period since World War II.

“Your bravery, solidarity, and resilience in the face of manifest evil continue to inspire people across the globe.”

This story was originally published May 7, 2014 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Bob Dole named honorary citizen of Sarajevo."