Muslim and Orthodox religious leaders from the southern city of Mostar paid a joint visit to two suffering sites from WWII and paid their respects to the Bosniak and Serb victims from that period.

A statement signed by Mostar Mufti Salem Dedovic and Zahumlje-Herzegovina Bishop Dimitrije, who visited the Cavkarica and Koricka jama sites, said all victims of the crimes deserve “human sympathy, deserving burial and earthly peace.”

“By visiting the sites of horrible crimes in East Herzegovina (region), we are honouring the victims and warning about the insane concepts and politics that brought away numerous innocent lives, leaving havoc behind as well as hatred and intolerance to the future generations as generators of new conflicts,” said the statement.

The visits are aimed to encourage the young generations to live in peace, respect and tolerance with other ethnicities and religions with whom they share a common space and fate in their diversities, they said.

They also encouraged all structures in the society as well as individuals to contribute to the peace and coexistence, while suppressing the hatred and mistrust among the peoples.