Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elmedin Konakovic, emphasized in a joint statement with European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, that they discussed the recent draft United Nations (UN) resolution on the Srebrenica genocide yesterday.
The occasion for their discussion was Hungary’s announcement that it would not support the resolution on Srebrenica, which the UN General Assembly will debate on Thursday, May 23rd.
Konakovic highlighted that Commissioner Varhelyi’s previous statements demonstrate full respect for the victims and do not question the established facts regarding the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.
The facts of the Srebrenica genocide have been legally established by entities including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the statement reads.
“The Commissioner’s statement clarifies that the perpetrators bear full and exclusive responsibility for the crimes they committed. Any notion of collective guilt or collective responsibility of an entire people is unacceptable and contrary to internationally accepted norms,” the statement emphasizes.
It is stressed that “the crimes committed must never be forgotten to prevent their recurrence against anyone.”
Reconciliation can only be built on truth, peace, and justice, the statement notes. “There can be no tolerance for genocide denial, historical revisionism, and the glorification of war criminals,” it adds.
“Commissioner Varhelyi is one of the strongest advocates for BiH’s accession to the European Union (EU). We have worked together over the past years for a prosperous and peaceful BiH. The future of BiH lies in the EU as a unified, united, and sovereign state,” it states.
Based on the recommendation of the European Commission, BiH received candidate status in December 2022, and in March 2024, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations.
“BiH must continue implementing its EU reform agenda, and Commissioner Varhelyi is committed to fully supporting this process,” the joint statement concludes.
