Becirovic discusses Srebrenica and Mladic glorification with UN chief Guterres

According to a statement from Becirovic's office, he described the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution on the Srebrenica genocide as a "highly moral and civilizational act", important for Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations and the international community.

He said the resolution represented a victory of truth and justice over genocide denial and historical revisionism, adding that preserving facts established before the UN's highest courts and respecting their final judgments was important for the credibility of international law and the multilateral order.

Mladic glorification 'brutal insult' to victims

Becirovic also addressed the recent funeral of Ratko Mladic in Serbia and the public and institutional honours accorded to him.

Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the UN tribunal in The Hague for genocide in Srebrenica, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Becirovic said the events surrounding his funeral further demonstrated why the UN resolution on Srebrenica was necessary.

He described the glorification of a person convicted by UN courts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as an "anti-civilizational act and a brutal insult and provocation to the victims."

"No honours or attempts to turn convicted war criminals into heroes can change the judgments of UN courts or judicially established facts," Becirovic said, according to his office.

He also stressed the importance of continuing to implement the Srebrenica resolution, particularly through the UN outreach programme "The Srebrenica Genocide and the United Nations", which he described as an important mechanism for preserving judicially established facts and passing them on to future generations.

Guterres reaffirms support for Bosnia and Herzegovina

According to Becirovic's office, Guterres said Bosnia and Herzegovina was an important UN partner and that overall cooperation should be strengthened.

The statement said Guterres reaffirmed the UN's support for Bosnia and Herzegovina as an "independent, indivisible and sovereign state", as well as support for its Euro-Atlantic integration.

Guterres also said the memory of the victims of the Srebrenica genocide would be permanently preserved and passed on to future generations, according to the statement.

Becirovic's office said Guterres reiterated that the UN had already strongly condemned the glorification of Mladic in Serbia and elsewhere, adding that such conduct was contrary to civilizational and legal norms.

During the meeting, Becirovic also raised current political and security challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He said the international community must act decisively against policies that threaten the country's peace, constitutional order, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

At the end of the meeting, Becirovic invited Guterres to visit Sarajevo and Srebrenica before the end of his term as UN Secretary-General.