Podgorica, (MINA) – Montenegro has repeatedly reaffirmed its principled position on the genocide in Srebrenica, at both national level and within the framework of all multilateral forums, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimovic.

 

He said this during a panel discussion marking the July 11, the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the Genocide in Srebrenica, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in cooperation with the United Nations (UN) in Montenegro.

 

Ibrahimovic said that this panel discussion is an expression of the MFA’s commitment to observing the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide, and to strengthen the culture of remembrance and peace in Montenegro and beyond.

 

“And our response to attempts at revisionism, glorification of war criminals and hate speech, to which, unfortunately, we in Montenegro are not immune either”, added Ibrahimovic.

 

Ibrahimovic noted that the verdicts of the highest international instances confirm exclusively individual responsibility and that therefore any attempt to shift blame onto an entire nation “here or anywhere else in the world, is nothing but an act of denying the truth and genocide denial”.

 

He added that he is convinced that lasting peace in the region can only be possible by confronting the dark past, establishing the truth and bringing those responsible to justice.

 

UN Resident Coordinator in Montenegro Caroline Tissot said that the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice ruled that genocide was committed in Srebrenica.

 

According to her, justice must be delivered for victims and their families, while institutions and civil society must be strengthened in order to prevent future crimes.

 

Director of the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center Emir Suljagic said in a video message that “the victims of the Srebrenica genocide can no longer speak”.

 

“That is why it is our duty to ensure their voices do not fall silent. We remember, we bear witness and we insist on the truth. Because remembering is an act of justice, and the truth is the strongest protection against the repetition of crimes”, Suljagic added.