Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović opened, together with the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, the Monument to the Victims of the Srebrenica Genocide, which was erected at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
The monument, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the genocide against Bosniaks, was erected by the Decision of the Paris City Council, with the support of Mayor Hidalgo, the Office of Member of the Presidency of BiH Denis Bećirović announced.
It was erected in the alley of memorial monuments, right next to the monument erected in memory of the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the monument to French soldiers who died in World War II.
The project was launched at the initiative of the non-governmental organization Solidarity with Bosnia and Herzegovina (SIBH-France), which brings together Bosnian and Herzegovinian associations and friends of Bosnia and Herzegovina in France. The monument is the work of sculptor Admir Halilović.
Addressing the audience, Bećirović thanked the Republic of France for its enormous support during the adoption of the Resolution on the International Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide at the United Nations General Assembly in May 2024.
He emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina extremely appreciates the fact that the friendly Republic of France was one of the co-sponsors of the Resolution on Srebrenica.
Speaking about the importance of erecting this monument, the member of the BiH Presidency emphasized the important role of Mayor Hidalgo and the Paris City Council.
“Today we pay our respects to the victims of the only genocide on European soil after 1945. In the heart of Paris, at the Père Lachaise cemetery, we are unveiling the Memorial dedicated to the victims of the genocide against the Bosniaks in the United Nations Safe Zone of Srebrenica. The monument dedicated to the genocide against the Bosniaks will forever stand here, in Paris,” Bećirović said.
He emphasized that the memory of the genocide in Srebrenica must be the foundation for building a better, safer and more just future.
“Only through truth, respect for victims and responsibility can we ensure that genocide never happens again,” said Denis Bećirović, a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a statement.
