Macron: Justice means acknowledging failure in Srebrenica

(Patria) - French President Emmanuel Macron sent a strong message of remembrance and support to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the occasion of the 30th anniversary in Srebrenica, and his letter at the commemoration in Potočari was read by the French Minister for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad.

Macron stated that Srebrenica remains a permanent stain on the collective memory of Europe and the entire world, and that it obliges us to truth and justice. The leader of France emphasized that truth implies a full acknowledgment of the scale of the crime motivated by ethnic hatred, and the acknowledgment that the international community failed to protect civilians in July 1995.

"This is an acknowledgment of failure with the aim of ensuring such evil never happens again and building a common future," Macron said.

He stressed that justice means respecting court verdicts and that there is no room for revisionism and denial in a region that wishes to be part of the European Union.

"This remembrance obliges us to courage, to the daily and continuous building of peace and trust – without excluding anyone," Macron stated, recalling France's own experience with reconciliation:

"France is proud to have built a common, forward-looking future with Germany after World War II. Today, France remains with you – to support Bosnia and Herzegovina on the difficult but necessary path of reconciliation, building peace, and a prosperous future in a united Europe."