Hammond on Resolution: No finger of blame was pointed at anyone, it was meant to be a lesson for the UN

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is disappointed by Russia's veto of the Resolution on Srebrenica in the UN Security Council today, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

- We are disappointed that our Resolution, which was meant to mark the 20th anniversary of Srebrenica, was vetoed today.

We had three goals: to honor the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica and the victims on all sides during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina; to seek justice for all and reconciliation; and for it to be a lesson for the UN from those tragic events. The Resolution did not point a finger of blame at anyone, nor was it intended to reignite painful divisions.

The failure to adopt this Resolution is a failure. True reconciliation requires confronting the reality of the past, by all sides, in order to learn lessons for the future.

We owe it to all those who lost their lives in the war to work together to build a secure and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Deputy British Ambassador to the UN, Peter Wilson, pointed out that the Russians now have to explain to the people of Srebrenica why they cast a veto.

- We are deeply disappointed that Russia voted against it. Some have said that this resolution worsened relations in the Balkans, but we cannot turn to the future until crimes are condemned. Denying genocide is the ultimate insult to the victims and what prevents reconciliation - said Wilson.