Appeasing Europe: Dodik Concerned About Armenian Genocide, Refuses to Recognize Srebrenica

Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik sent the text of the Declaration on the Recognition of the Armenian Genocide from 1915 to 1917 to the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, and proposed its adoption at the first upcoming session, reports the Patria News Agency.

-The Serb people of Republika Srpska, as a people of freedom and a people who lost a third of their working-age population and enormous natural and material wealth in World War I, stand in solidarity with the efforts of the Armenian people and support them in their endeavor to have the historical injustice recognized as genocide for the massacre committed against Armenians during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, it was announced from the office of the President of Republika Srpska.

By adopting the Declaration, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska would, on behalf of RS, stand for respect for human rights, international criminal law, but also remind of the non-statute of limitations for crimes against humanity and contribute to the fight against genocide denial, according to the statement.

Although Dodik was in Potočari yesterday and paid his respects to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, it did not even cross his mind, of course, to say that genocide also occurred in this Bosnian town in 1995, which has been confirmed before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, as well as by a series of Hague verdicts.

Since he is so concerned about the Armenians and the genocide from the beginning of the 20th century, he could suggest to the SNSD deputies to raise their hands for the Bill on the Prohibition of Genocide Denial in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, which was proposed for years by former SBiH deputies Azra Hadžiahmetović and Beriz Belkić.

Or he could propose the adoption of a resolution in the National Assembly of RS, similar to the one Serbia adopted back in 2010.

At least such a resolution, because even Serbia did not recognize the genocide, but it adopted a resolution condemning the crime in Srebrenica and the murder of more than 8,000 Bosniaks.

Dodik's political game with the declaration on Armenia is more than a clear indication that he is trying, at least in this way, to appease the international community that has long written him off.

It is not coincidental that his initiative comes just two days after the European Parliament supported the proposal to call the massacre committed a century ago against 1.5 million Armenians a genocide, a few days after Pope Francis also used the same term.

And, of course, his visit to Srebrenica yesterday fits into all of this.