Asked about recent statements he made regarding the Srebrenica Genocide, Croatian President, Zoran Milanovic, said on Thursday that he does not want to "watch" and "explain" his words and that what constitutes genocide is determined by a "political metric."

Local media reported that, during a working lunch of presidents of Western Balkan countries at the Brdo-Brijuni summit, Milanovic denied that what took place in Srebrenica in 1995 was a genocide. This prompted Bosnia’s Foreign Ministry to send a demarche to Croatia on Wednesday over statements.

Milanovic’s office denied the allegations in a written statement to N1 on Wednesday, but BiH Presidency Chairman Sefik Dzaferovic’s Office said the Croatian President did make the controversial statements.

Milanovic commented on the allegations on Thursday.

“I feel the need to talk about what genocide is and what should be considered genocide and where the boundary is because let’s remember it’s a political metric,” he said, adding that, “at one point, a group of people determined that it was (genocide), and another group of people judged it as such.”

“It is not a natural law. Rainfall can be explained by all physical and chemical parameters. Motives for genocide, what it actually is, that is a matter of discussion. That’s why there is no taboo. There must be nothing sacred except for the basic human ability that I have shown on a number of occasions, including by going to Srebrenica for the first time as Prime Minister. But if I allow myself to be bullied and have to watch every word I say and explain every word I say, I am humiliating both the country and the people I represent,” he said.