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TIRANA, July 8 (FENA) - MPs in the Albanian parliament voted unanimously on Thursday to support a resolution honouring the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, ahead of the anniversary next week of the July 1995 massacres of some 8,000 Bosniak men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces, Balkan Insight reports.
The resolution also declares July 11, when annual commemorations are held in Bosnia, as a day of remembrance in Albania.
It says that it “confirms Albania’s position that denying the genocide committed against the Bosniak population of Srebrenica by Bosnian Serb forces constitutes a violation of international law, and promotes the phenomenon of impunity for war crimes and violations of the dignity of more than 8,000 civilians who were massacred in Srebrenica”.
It also condemns the “glorification of the authors, creators and supporters of this genocide”, as well as the killings and rapes of ethnic Albanians by Serbian forces during the Kosovo war.
Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka said during the parliamentary session on Thursday said “some events should not be used or misused for political agendas”.
“Therefore I support this proposal and call on my colleagues to vote to approve it all together, out of respect for the victims. Respect that can never be shown by using this tragic event as ammunition for political debates,” Xhacka added.
The resolution’s progress towards a vote has been marked by political squabbling between government and opposition.
A resolution condemning the Srebrenica genocide was initially proposed in June by former prime minister and president Sali Berisha from the opposition Democratic Party.
Berisha has been attempting to position himself at the centre of opposition activity since the US State Department last year accused him of being involved in “significant corruption” and barred him from entering the US.
The governing Socialist Party dismissed Berisha’s resolution proposal as an attempt to gain legitimacy for himself, and it was rejected by parliament.
But many people in Albania, including opposition supporters and human rights activists, expressed discontent about the Socialists’ failure to back the resolution condemning the genocide.
The Socialist Party then put forward its own resolution, which was voted upon on Thursday.
During yesterday's session, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šefik Džaferović, addressed the Albanian Parliament via video message.
“Dear Speaker of the Parliament, Dear Members of the Parliament of the Republic of Albania, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, in the coming days it will be exactly 27 years since the genocide in Srebrenica, the biggest mass crime on European soil since the Second World War,” stated Džaferović at the beginning of his address to the MPs of the Albanian Parliament.
In his address, he underlined the fact that in just a few days, after July 11, 1995, units of the army and police of Republika Srpska killed more than 8,000 men and boys.
As established in the verdicts of the Hague Tribunal, the whole operation was carried out under the orders and supervision of the political and military leadership of the Republika Srpska.
He emphasized that the tragedy of Srebrenica has become a global symbol of suffering and crime in the modern age.
“Even today, 27 years later, the word Srebrenica resonates with the strongest pain and horror. It was with gratitude and appreciation that I received the news about the intention of the Parliament of the Republic of Albania to adopt the Resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica. I thank all the representatives who supported the adoption of this resolution,” said Džaferović.
He added that with this act, Albania confirms its belonging to the civilized world, and the Parliament of Albania joins the European Parliament, the American Congress and numerous other parliaments in the world, Europe and the region that have adopted resolutions on the genocide in Srebrenica.
“This is a very important act for the entire region of the Western Balkans. The restoration of trust in the region is only possible with respect for the truth, because respect for the truth is respect for the victims. I hope that one day everyone in the Western Balkans region, without exception, will start respecting the victims by admitting the truth. It is up to them whether they will do it and ensure normal future, or whether they will continue to deny it, thereby preventing the restoration of trust and holding new generations hostage to the past,” he underlined.
He concluded his speech by stating that the Republic of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina are two close and extremely friendly countries.
“Our countries contribute to building a peaceful and democratic environment in the region. Our peoples are inextricably linked by numerous historical, cultural and generally human ties. Our future is shared, and it is European and Euro-Atlantic. I look at this act of the Parliament of Albania in that light. The purpose of remembering and honoring the victims is to ensure that the horror of genocide never happens again,” concluded in his video address to the Parliament of the Republic of Albania, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šefik Džaferović.
(FENA) A. B.
