Dutch FM to address Srebrenica memorial, meet surviving family

Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs will attend and speak at the memorial for the 20th anniversary of Srebrenica in Potocari, Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday. This is the first time that a member of the Cabinet will actually give a speech at a Srebrenica memorial, though members of the Dutch government have attended these memorials before.

On Friday night Koenders will also talk to relatives of the some 8 thousand Muslim men that were massacred after the fall of Srebrenica on July 11th, 1995. He believes it important to show respect to the victims and their families. "We can not undo what happened, but we must never forget." Koenders said.

The memorial ceremony will be held on Saturday in the Potocari Memorial Center, the former Dutchbat base. The Netherlands helped fund this center. During the ceremony the remains of victims that have been identified this past year will be buried.

The visit to Srebrenica forms part of Koenders' trip through Central and Eastern Europe. Between July 8th and 11th the minister will also visit Poland, Austria, Croatia and Serbia.