Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and all the Senators for their contributions today. It is a very special day of commemoration. I agree with Senator Gavan that it is perhaps time to have an international Srebrenica memorial day.The UN, of which we are part, failed to protect Bosnian men, women and children in that enclave. I feel that many errors, misjudgments and mistakes were made. I would hope that would never happen again. This happened when the Bosnian Serb troops wanted a racially pure statelet. They ethnically cleansed and genocide was part of that routine. I also believe that Ireland is in a unique situation in which we can be impartial, independent brokers of peace, not just in Bosnia but across the world. With the Good Friday Agreement and what we have done - though the challenges that we have faced are much less than what exists in many other countries - sometimes we have to be very careful to try to be independent and also impartial in all aspects, because there is a role for this State.

The Minister of State has said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is on the path to EU integration. We are also mindful that the minorities in our societies must be protected, and we must ensure that they are respected and listened to. I will take on board Senator Bacik's proposal that we should, in my last minute, have a minute's silence, if that is okay with the Acting Chairman.