UN chief denounces glorification of convicted Bosnian war leader in talks with Bosnian presidency

During a meeting at the United Nations in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticised ongoing efforts to glorify the late Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic, describing them as violations of international legal and civilisational standards. The conversation with Denis Becirovic, chair of Bosnia’s three-member presidency, focused on applying the UN General Assembly’s 2024 Srebrenica Genocide Resolution and combating historical revisionism in the Balkans.

Guterres stressed that such denial undermines reconciliation and regional stability. Becirovic offered Guterres a future visit to Sarajevo and the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, and called for lasting international educational initiatives about the 1995 genocide. The article also noted Mladic’s recent funeral in Belgrade, attended by officials from Serbia and Republika Srpska, and cited EU criticism of Serbia for the glorification, deeming it inconsistent with EU values.