McAllister: Genocide happened in Srebrenica, we regret Serbia denies it

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The newly elected Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs David McAllister said that the European Parliament regrets that "in some political circles in Serbia the genocide in Srebrenica is denied", reports Radio Free Europe. 

"The European Parliament is clear on this. We regret that some politicians in Serbia continue to deny that the massacre in Srebrenica was genocide. This is the official position of the European Parliament," McAllister stated. 

McAllister is now heading the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the new term of the European Parliament, which also includes relations with countries in the region. In the previous term, he was the rapporteur for Serbia in this institution.

On the issue of denying the genocide in Srebrenica, the Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn also spoke last week, who provided a written answer to a parliamentary question from the EP, in which he mentioned that the recent European Commission communication on a credible enlargement perspective "clearly stated that there is no place in the EU for inflammatory rhetoric, let alone for glorifying war criminals from any side, and that further efforts towards reconciliation are key to firmly anchoring peace and ensuring lasting stability in the region". 
        "All countries must unequivocally commit, in words and deeds, to overcoming the legacy of the past by achieving reconciliation and resolving open issues well before their accession to the EU," Hahn said in the response published on the European Parliament website.