Serbia is thankful to the United States for investments that enhance life in its cities, but will resist the adoption of a pending resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica at the upcoming UN General Assembly, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said during a visit by Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien.
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From the post of Special Coordinator for Sanctions, O’Brien, who held it, moved to the position of Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs in October 2023. On Saturday he arrived in Belgrade, where he met with Vucic privately.
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“It is important to concentrate and often talk about good things that are extremely significant in our cooperation. There are cities and towns in Serbia that, thanks to American companies, live decently and well. I opened from the factory in Sremska Mitrovica to the most modern highways near Krusevac, which American companies built it, and I am grateful to our American partners for this,” Vucic said at a joint press conference.
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“Regarding the resolution on Srebrenica, as a seasoned politician with nothing to lose, even at the age of 54, I speak openly. I won't divulge everything said in my conversation with Jim O’Brien, but I will address all important matters directly. I openly express the challenges we are facing, which are difficult for us and the entire Serbian people. We are aware that when America takes a stand, 70 countries will support it. Despite this, we stand alone and will oppose them on the resolution.,” the Serbian leader said.
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He highlighted the differing positions of Belgrade and Washington on the Kosovo issue, but emphasized the mutual goal of maintaining peace and stability in the region and the positive collaboration of the Serbian authorities with the NATO KFOR contingent.
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The anticipated May 2 vote at the General Assembly (UNGA) on the resolution proposed by Germany and Rwanda on the genocide in Srebrenica in July 1995 and the prohibition of denying the fact of genocide, according to the leadership of Serbia and the RS BiH, declares the Serbs a “genocidal people” and raises the question of legitimacy of the existence of the RS BiH.
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At a rally in Banja Luka with the participation of 50 thousand people on Thursday evening, the President of the RS BiH Milorad Dodik urged fellow citizens to disregard the UN resolution on genocide in Srebrenica being prepared and highlighted that in July 1995 a criminal mistake was committed there, but not an act of genocide.
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The People’s Skupšina (parliament) of the Republic of Srpska Bosnia and Herzegovina (RS BiH) on Thursday reviewed and approved the conclusion of an independent international commission that there were no facts of genocide in the events in the Srebrenica area in 1992-1995. Previously, he repeatedly stated that if pressure from the central authorities in Sarajevo continues on the powers and freedoms of the RS, the leadership of the Bosnian Serbs will demand the independence of the Republika Srpska.
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In East Sarajevo in the RS BiH in 2017, a monument was erected to the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vitaly Churkin, under whom in 2015 the British draft resolution on Srebrenica was blocked in the UN Security Council, recognizing the 1995 executions as genocide, on which was written “Thank you for the Russian «no»”.
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BiH is part of the Partnership for Peace program; the ALTHEA peacekeeping mission has been active in the country since 2004. Initially, it involved over 5 thousand military personnel from the EU, NATO countries, Switzerland, and Chile. After restructuring in early 2022, about 1.1 thousand international military personnel remained at the Butmir base in Sarajevo and "on the ground" in different parts of the country. EUFOR's main task now is to train and participate in the modernization of the armed forces of BiH and to help the country's authorities "in creating a safe environment".on the groundThe main stated task of EUFOR now is to train and participate in the modernization of the armed forces of BiH and to assist the country’s authorities “in creating a safe environment.Serbia is thankful to the United States for investments that enhance life in its cities, but will oppose the adoption of a pending resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica at the upcoming UN General Assembly, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said during a visit by Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien. ⠀ […].”
