Serb ministers in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Council of Ministers rejected on Friday the initiative to mark July 11, the day of commemoration for the Srebrenica genocide victims, a day of mourning in the whole country.

The initiative submitted by Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic got the support of six Bosniak and Croat ministers, while four Serb ministers including the Council of Ministers Chairman opposed it.

Turkovic filed the initiative on Wednesday to be discussed either in a regular or urgent phone session prior to July 11. She also said she would instruct the diplomatic-consular offices abroad to lower the flags at half-mast and to inform the host countries about it.

The proposals were strongly objected by Serb member of BiH tripartite Presidency Milorad Dodik, who told the ambassadors from Bosnia’s Serb-majority Republika Srpska entity not to follow Turkovic’s instructions.

Dodik argued that Turkovic abused her post as she said she will issue the instruction without consensus with the Presidency.

The 26th commemoration for the Srebrenica genocide victims will take place on July 11 at the Potocari Memorial Centre. Nineteen more identified victims will be buried this year in a mass ceremony.

The Organising Committee announced that the 26th commemoration for the victims will take place under the restrictions imposed during the epidemic.