BRANKOVIĆ: EXHIBITION ON JASENOVAC IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT - SRPSKA'S POLITICAL SUCCESS

BELGRADE, APRIL 29 /SRNA/ – Diplomat Branko Branković assessed that the installation of an exhibition about the Ustasha concentration camp Jasenovac in the European Parliament in Strasbourg represents a political success for Republika Srpska, pointing out that the EU must recognise that the basis of the current resurgence of Ustasha ideology in Croatia lies in the legacy of this camp.

Branković told SRNA that the first installtion of this exhibition in the European Parliament is an important moment for Europe to finally understand what the Independent State of Croatia /NDH/ was and what it was responsible for. Considering that the exhibition was organised by institutions of Republika Srpska together with the Archive of Vojvodina, Branković said it is a success of Srpska's policy that the exhibition reached Strasbourg, the seat of the European Parliament. "At the same time, many tried to prevent this, but what is more significant is that Republika Srpska remained firm until the end, which ultimately led to this success," said Branković, a former Serbia’s ambassador to the United Nations. He emphasized that it is important to continually remind Europeans of the fact that the NDH was responsible for the atrocities of Jasenovac, where Serbs, Roma, and Jews perished, and that this issue should be periodically revisited, especially since Croatia is a, EU member state. "Even though some pretend not to know the facts about events in the Balkans - they certainly do - it is still good to remind them, especially at certain political moments," Branković said. He stressed that the EU must understand that the current revival of Ustasha ideology in Croatia stems from the legacy of the Jasenovac camp. "They would open another Jasenovac tomorrow if they could," Branković said, expressing regret that such tendencies are appearing even 80 years after World War II, having been concealed for years. He assessed that Croatia is not alone in this, and pointed to Germany's intentions to rearm, despite well-known historical events from the 1930s when Hitler came to power. On Monday, April 27, the exhibition "Jasenovac, Remembrance and Warning," prepared by the archives of Republika Srpska and Vojvodina, was opened in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. This is the first time that the European Parliament has addressed the NDH and the Ustasha crimes. Authentic archival documents, photographs, and testimonies of survivors from this Ustasha concentration camp are on display.