The prime minister of Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic slammed a move by the United Kingdom to draft a resolution at the United Nations to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and reflect on the failure of the United Nations to prevent it.
Zeljka Cvijanovic said the move was "an attack" on Serbs adding, "when judging such initiatives, you have to consider whether it is stabilising or destabilising the situation here,"
Serbia’s foreign minister Ivica Dacic also commented on the drafting of a resolution, saying "paying tribute to the victims of any crime, including the crime in Srebrenica, is not an issue,” but added "We expect the world to treat the crimes committed against Serbs in the same way”.
"The UK is leading on the drafting of a UN Security Council resolution to mark the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica," a spokesperson from the British mission to the United Nations told AFP on Tuesday.
"This is also an occasion for the international community to reflect on the lessons learned from one of the darkest moments in UN history and reaffirm our determination to prevent genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes," the spokesperson added.
Stating that the “exact content is still under discussion” the spokesperson continued to say “we expect that it will commemorate the victims of the genocide at Srebrenica, and those who suffered on all sides in the war, and that it will encourage further steps towards reconciliation."
Britain's ambassador to Bosnia, Edward Ferguson, said that the resolution would "encourage further steps toward reconciliation and a brighter future for Bosnia and Herzegovina".
Zeljka Cvijanovic said the move was "an attack" on Serbs adding, "when judging such initiatives, you have to consider whether it is stabilising or destabilising the situation here,"
Serbia’s foreign minister Ivica Dacic also commented on the drafting of a resolution, saying "paying tribute to the victims of any crime, including the crime in Srebrenica, is not an issue,” but added "We expect the world to treat the crimes committed against Serbs in the same way”.
"The UK is leading on the drafting of a UN Security Council resolution to mark the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica," a spokesperson from the British mission to the United Nations told AFP on Tuesday.
"This is also an occasion for the international community to reflect on the lessons learned from one of the darkest moments in UN history and reaffirm our determination to prevent genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes," the spokesperson added.
Stating that the “exact content is still under discussion” the spokesperson continued to say “we expect that it will commemorate the victims of the genocide at Srebrenica, and those who suffered on all sides in the war, and that it will encourage further steps towards reconciliation."
Britain's ambassador to Bosnia, Edward Ferguson, said that the resolution would "encourage further steps toward reconciliation and a brighter future for Bosnia and Herzegovina".