Djurić for Politico: The resolution will sow further discord in the Balkans

In an author's text for the Brussels portal, Djurić assessed that reaching an agreement on commemorating the past in a way that does not create division is the best way to ensure that it does not happen again.

Tomorrow, the General Assembly of the United Nations is considering the draft resolution on the declaration of the International Day of Remembrance for the victims of the massacre in Srebrenica in 1995, and the head of Serbian diplomacy wrote that, while the reviewers of the resolution state that it is an important step towards reconciliation, it will probably "sow further discord in the Balkans".

"No one can deny that terrible war crimes took place during the Balkan wars. Only political extremists reject the view that indescribable crimes were committed in Srebrenica. And only the most foolish people are not willing to acknowledge and honor those victims," Djurić wrote.

He stated that the proposed UN resolution was narrowly focused and drafted without consultation with all regional communities and parties in the Balkan wars.

"But any UN resolution on the suffering in the Balkan wars should respect more than 100,000 victims of the conflict. These victims deserve equal justice, treatment and remembrance, as well as the respect of the international community regardless of their nationality, race or religion. Unfortunately, the draft resolution tries to mention and single out one group," said Djurić.

Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the draft resolution undermines the Constitution and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina because it was drawn up, proposed, co-sponsored and lobbied for by the Permanent Representative of the UN for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Zlatko Lagumdžija, without the legally prescribed consent of the three-member Presidency of the country .

"It progressed in secret, without consultation with the Serbian entity in the country or its elected representatives, and without any attempt to acknowledge the tens of thousands of other victims of the war," Djurić pointed out the day before the vote in New York.

On May 18, the proponents of the draft resolution on Srebrenica determined the final version of that document, which will be discussed tomorrow by the UN General Assembly, and the preamble of the text states that "criminal responsibility under international law for the crime of genocide is individualized."

The initiators of the proposed text were Germany and Rwanda, while the amendments to the draft were submitted by the Government of Montenegro.

The final draft of the resolution envisages that July 11 will be declared the International Day of Remembrance of the Srebrenica Genocide, which would be celebrated every year.

Minister Djurić and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, who leads the delegation, have been in New York since Monday and are holding meetings with permanent representatives at the UN in which they present Belgrade's position on, as they indicate, the harmful consequences of the adoption of this resolution on relations in the region.