Juraj Blanár, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, attended the official commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide at the Memorial Center in Potočari today. Invited by his Bosnian counterpart Elmedin Konaković, Blanár paid tribute to the victims of Europe’s worst atrocity since World War II.
“In a time when peace is not something that is taken for granted, we in Slovakia do not forget and remind ourselves how far human hatred can go,” Minister Blanár stated during the ceremony.
He emphasized that the massacre of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys in July 1995 remains a lasting scar not only for the Western Balkans but for all of Europe. “Their deaths, the suffering of their families and the unhealed wounds remain part of the collective memory of the entire continent,” he said.
Blanár highlighted the personal connection Slovakia has to the tragedy, noting that many survivors of the war found refuge and new lives in Slovakia. He reaffirmed Slovakia’s commitment to supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to reconciliation, stability, and EU integration.
“The stability and integration of Western Balkan countries into the European Union remains a long-term priority of Slovak foreign policy,” he said.
Minister Blanár also underlined Slovakia’s ongoing support for peacebuilding initiatives in the region, particularly among young people. This includes financial and institutional support for inter-community dialogue, cooperation with the UNDP, and contributions to projects like the digitalization of the Genocide Museum’s exhibitions in Sarajevo and the Peace Festival of the Center for Post-Conflict Research.
