The Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (ACBH) praises the U.S. government's condemnation of recent statements by the newly-elected president of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolic.

"The United States deplores the statement made by newly elected Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic denying genocide in Srebrenica. Genocide in Srebrenica is not a subjective determination – it is a defined criminal act which the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has confirmed in final and binding verdicts in multiple cases. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) also has concluded that genocide occurred in Srebrenica. It cannot be denied," said the United States Department of State in a press statement issued on June 5, 2012.

ACBH strongly condemns President Nikolic's statements, in which he denies the Srebrenica genocide and calls the Croatian town of Vukovar, infamous for the Vukovar massacre orchestrated by the Serbs, a "Serb town." These remarks are deeply troubling, and it is clear that the international community agrees. We sincerely hope that President Nikolic retracts his statements and sets a constructive tone for dialogue within the region. Such shameful comments undermine stability and reconciliation in the region by minimizing the events of not only Srebrenica but the entirety of the ethnic cleansing that happened between 1991 and 1995.