Serbian officials lash out after Srebrenica mayor's remarks

Marko Djuric has asked Aleksandar Vucic to "immediately cease all communication with Bosniak politicians who do not want peace and cooperation with Serbia."

Serbian officials lash out after Srebrenica mayor's remarks

Marko Djuric has asked Aleksandar Vucic to "immediately cease all communication with Bosniak politicians who do not want peace and cooperation with Serbia."

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(Tanjug, file)

Djuric said those Bosniak (Muslim) politicians (in Bosnia-Herzegovina) see dialogue as "nothing but the continuation of war by other means."

Djuric told Tanjug that "all communication should cease with Mayor of Srebrenica Camil Durakovic, and with Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic, because Sarajevo is behind the behavior of Durakovic and his chauvinist rampage."

Earlier on Wednesday, Durakovic said that Serbia's EUR 5 million donation to Srebrenica was made "to all peoples, not just Bosniaks" in the municipality, and that he "hoped that Vucic did not think the donation would get him free access to the Memorial Center."

Earlier in the week, Durakovic announced that top Serbian officials were unwelcome at the upcoming Srebrenica commemoration. Beta reported that while speaking on Wednesday, "Durakovic would not give a concrete answer when asked whether he was ready to return the donation."

In his reaction, Djuric said that Serbia "cannot silently stand by and watch Sarajevo trample on and humiliate not only the interests of Serbia, but the entire Serbian nation, literally trampling on and humiliating the Serbian people in the Serb Republic."

"Of course this is being done in a premeditated manner by official Sarajevo and behind this is none other than Bakir Izetbegovic and his surroundings, incapable of any policy except that of war and conflict," said Djuric.

The Serbian official added that these Bosniak politicians see Vucic's offered hand as "an opportunity to spit on it, insult the Serbian people, call for continued war by other means, because to them, dialogue is nothing but the continuation of war by other means."

"Therefore, with such people as Izetbegovic and Durakovic, there is and there can be no a conversation," said Djuric, who also announced that he would ask for an urgent meeting of the SNS Presidency.

As he pointed out, "the Serbian people are truly endangered by such attitudes of some politicians in the region, and this is not only about Izetbegovic, Durakovic, and the Bosniak chauvinist elite, but also many others." Djuric added that this danger also stems from "international circumstances."

"I think that as a party we should not remain silent at this humiliation of the Serbian people and Serbia, and even less so take part in it. We have no right to participate in it, and therefore it is necessary to stop this practice and react in a way that is appropriate and proportionate," said Djuric.