The European Union praised Serbia on Wednesday for acknowledging its troubled past after parliament in Belgrade apologised over the 1995 killing of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
Nearly 13 hours of debate that ended after midnight highlighted deep divisions about Serbia's wartime past at a time when the country aspires to join the EU. "This is an important step for the country in facing its recent past, a process which is difficult but essential for Serbian society to go through," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a joint statement with Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule. "This is not only important for Serbia, it is the key for the reconciliation for the whole region."
The Serbian resolution expressed sympathy to the victims and apologised for not doing enough to prevent the massacre, but stopped short of calling the killings "genocide." The measure was approved by 127 of the 149 deputies present in parliament. Some opposition parties left the chamber shortly before the vote.
"With this (declaration) the people of Serbia demonstrated they want to distance themselves from that monstrous crime," Serbian President Boris Tadic told a news conference.
The New York Times
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