The opening of the Information Documentation Center (IDC) is an incentive for reconciliation and cooperation, as values that should be nurtured in order to further improve relations in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, said Speaker of the Parliament Aleksa Bečić at the opening of the Center.
The opening of the IDC is one of the primary goals of the project implemented by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, a member of the Civic Alliance, which was supported by the Delegation of the European Union in Montenegro and co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration.
The project is implemented in cooperation with the Parliament of Montenegro and the Faculty of Law of the University of Montenegro.
Bečić said that he expects that with the opening of the Center, the necessary basis will be formed for an objective confrontation with the past in order to build a better future.
He stated that the collection of evidence, statements and other information about war crimes on the territory of Montenegro, which the Parliament will later make available, show that the state is ready to be among the responsible societies.
"To societies that have learned a lesson from the past and strive for a future based on the rule of law, respect for civil values and the greatest civilizational achievements," said Bečić.
He said that the opening of the Center is an incentive for reconciliation and cooperation, as values that should be nurtured in order to further improve relations in the area of the former Yugoslavia.
"The prerequisite for strengthening mutual reconciliation and strengthening economic, cultural and economic ties of the countries of the region is certainly to face the past and finally close the issues that divide us," Bečić said.
He believes that the maturity of society is reflected in the determination to face the past objectively.
"Essential reconciliation based on truth and justice, taking into account the memory of the victims, is a measure of seriousness in the process of creating a peaceful society in which civic values and human rights are fully respected," said Bečić.
He emphasized that this project is also important from the informational aspect, because certain studies have shown that the citizens of Montenegro show a low level of knowledge and interest in the topic of war crimes.
Bečič said that the opening of the Center also recognizes the intention of building capacity and cooperation among young people through ventures that have the potential to transform the current negative phenomena into a cohesive strength of Montenegro.
He said that the Assembly is ready to support initiatives that eliminate polarization in Montenegrin society and contribute to the harmony of civil society.
"On behalf of the Assembly and on behalf of 81 members of parliament, I wish you a successful work which, I believe, with its positive results, will be embedded in the foundations of peace and stability in our region," concluded Bečić.
The head of the EU Delegation in Montenegro, Oana Kristina Popa, said that the opening of the documentary center on war crimes represents an important moment for the political history of Montenegro, in terms of dealing with the war past and its healing.
Popa said that the EU is proud to have financially supported the project.
"Like many initiatives for reconciliation, this initiative is initiated by the civil sector. In the future, we believe that the Center should be taken over by the Parliament and other institutions for the sake of good management of the process, collection and archiving of documents", said Popa.
She believes that public institutions have a great responsibility in dealing with the past in Montenegro.
As she said, this implies solving war crimes in the early 1990s with an emphasis on effective criminal prosecution.
"Although Montenegro continues to implement the war crimes prosecution strategy, accountability for war crimes has not been fully established. A proactive approach to research, criminal prosecution, trial and punishment of war criminals is needed in accordance with international standards," Popa believes.
According to her, it is crucial to ensure that victims of war crimes have equal access to justice and in accordance with European and international standards
"At the same time, it is very important to strengthen citizens' awareness, promote better knowledge and understanding in order to fight impunity for war crimes," said Popa.
As she stated, the Center will contribute to the education of citizens, especially younger generations.
"It is a small but symbolically significant step towards the process of reconciliation and a better future for the region," said Popa.
The coordinator of the project, Milan Radović, assessed that Montenegro has done almost nothing regarding war crimes, and that this is one of the main reasons why they decided to establish the Center.
"Our goal is to acquaint the public with war crimes during the 90s through the work of the Center, but also to collect documentation and other material related to the aforementioned crimes that will be available and useful, first of all, for the state prosecution in opening new investigations and procedures, and then for the entire public," said Radović.
He said that there is symbolism in the fact that the Center was opened in Studenstka street, because for a number of years they have been doing research that showed that law students are not familiar with the facts about war crimes.
Radović explained that the Center contains the names of those who died, who were exiled and whose property was destroyed in the crimes that took place in the 90s on the territory of Montenegro and for whose security Montenegro was responsible.
"Let this Center be a guarantee - for the victims that we remember them, for future generations that the crimes will never be repeated," pointed out Radović.
He invited all citizens, colleagues from the NGO sector, researchers, journalists, students, pupils and others to visit the Center and familiarize themselves with the data and facts found there.
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