Serbian president expresses gratitude to Moscow`s vote against UN ‘genocide’ solution

(MENAFN) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has expressed his gratitude to Russia, China, Hungary, and several other nations for their opposition to a United Nations General Assembly resolution designating July 11 as ‘Srebrenica genocide’ remembrance day. The resolution, proposed by Germany and Rwanda, aimed to commemorate the tragic events that occurred during the Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995.

During the United Nations General Assembly vote, out of the 193 member states, 84 voted in favor of the resolution, 19 voted against it, 68 abstained, and 20 members were absent from the assembly. Despite a greater number of countries opposing or abstaining than those voting in favor, the resolution was ultimately adopted.

Following the vote, President Vucic publicly thanked China, the Russian Federation, the United Arab Emirates, and Hungary, along with Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus, and other countries from Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America for not supporting the resolution.

The resolution pertains to the capture of the town of Srebrenica by ethnic Serb forces during the Bosnian War. During the conflict, approximately 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men, many of whom were combatants, were killed. These events have been labeled as genocide by the Western-backed war crimes tribunal for Yugoslavia, which later became the International Criminal Court, a determination made through contentious legal interpretations.

President Vucic emphasized that efforts to stigmatize the Serbian people have failed and that individuals responsible for the Srebrenica killings have been brought to justice. He reiterated that the opposition to the resolution by these nations signifies a broader refusal to accept the genocide label, a contentious issue in international politics and law.

This ongoing debate highlights the complex and often controversial nature of international responses to historical conflicts and the legal classifications of wartime actions. As Serbia navigates its historical narrative, the international community remains divided on the interpretations and implications of past events.

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