Marta Kos: Srebrenica reminds us that human beings are capable of the unimaginable

"I am here today to pay respect to the victims of the genocide that took place 30 years ago. To the 8,372 Bosniaks who were systematically murdered and buried in mass graves - as if hiding the bodies could make us forget the crime. It did not. It never will", she said.

"I am also here to share the grief of their loved ones. And with the families of the seven victims who will be laid to rest today. Seven people who were denied a proper burial for 30 years", she added.

Kos noted that the youngest victims to be laid to rest on Friday are Senajid Avdic and Hariz Mujic, were just 19, and the oldest, Fata Bektic, was 67.

She expressed hope their families will find some measure of peace.

"Srebrenica remains a deep scar on European history. It took place during my lifetime. So close to us. In the country where I was born, in a country that no longer exists today. It reminds us that human beings are capable of the unimaginable. And that hatred and dehumanisation can lead to the worst of crimes", she said.

"It is our duty to remember – to speak out against hatred and divisions, to speak out against genocide denial, to speak out against the glorification of war criminals.

Let us honour the victims of Srebrenica by defending the rights they were denied. Let us learn from the past and build a common future of a united Europe based on respect - respect for different beliefs, religions, ethnicities, identities, and languages.

And we are creating a future in which we are defined primarily by what makes us human", added.

Kos concluded her speech saying explaining that her vision of the unification of Europe wntails "a community where everyone lives in peace and dignity, where every person’s rights are recognised and protected".

"And I see Bosnia and Herzegovina at the very heart of that community", she said.