“To the survivors of Srebrenica, we owe justice, and to the victims we owe remembrance”, the High Representative and EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák said today, welcoming a resolution by the European Parliament that recognises the 11th of July as a day of commemoration of the genocide in Srebrenica-across the EU. “By this resolution, the European Parliament has provided a way to warn current and future generations that genocide can occur even in places and times many thought it impossible,” he said.
“What happened in Srebrenica in July 1995 is the worst single atrocity that Europe has experienced since World War II. By commemorating the victims of the genocide, we can help reduce the pain of those still waiting to hear what exactly happened to their relatives killed in Srebrenica and elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The commemorations of the genocide should, first and foremost, be dedicated to them”, Lajčák said.
Recalling that General Ratko Mladić is still at large, Lajčák stressed once more that there can be no lasting reconciliation or healing until the accused masterminds of the genocide face justice. “Without truth, there can be no justice, without justice there can be no reconciliation, and without reconciliation, there is no future”, he said.
