Gorčević in Srebrenica: Renouncing the truth of the past means abandoning the future

A delegation from the Government of Montenegro, composed of Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Naida Nišić, Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation Anđela Jakšić Stojanović, and State Secretary at the Ministry of European Affairs Bojan Božović, attended the commemoration of 11 July - International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.

As a Bosniak from Montenegro, but also as a mother and a human being, I regret that history did not record a different course of events. I mourn the lack of sufficient solidarity among those who should have been friends and neighbours, and I lament that reason did not overcome the malevolent intentions whose consequences are irreversible, said Minister Gorčević in her address at the Memorial Center in Potočari during the commemoration of the genocide victims in Srebrenica.

On behalf of Montenegro, she expressed deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and respect to all those who persist in the pursuit to ensure that the Srebrenica genocide is never forgotten.

She noted that unfortunately, 29 years have not been enough to ensure that all genocide victims are dignifiedly buried and laid to eternal rest. She added that this largest war crime in Europe since World War II testifies to the boundlessness of human brutality and cruelty when hatred poisons society.

Therefore, anniversaries of this massacre must be occasions for remembrance and truth, because renouncing the truth of the past means abandoning a future free from the fear of its repetition. We can only build a secure future by resolutely opposing persistent, albeit unpopular, ideas of supremacy of one's own or inferiority of other peoples, ideas that insist on ethnically homogeneous societies and illusions that peace is overrated and war is purposeful, said Gorčević.

Minister Gorčević concluded that in the grim daily reality where human and child war sufferings around the world selectively deserve compassion depending on the territory they are on, the challenge is to find a basis for optimism. But if we cannot find something bright even in the darkest times, life would not be worth living, she emphasised.

Today, the 29th anniversary of the genocide against Bosniaks in Srebrenica was commemorated in Potočari, and an additional 14 identified victims of the genocide were laid to rest.