UK to help identify 12,000 victims of Yugoslav conflict

THE UK has announced it will help funding efforts to identify 12,000 victims still missing from the conflicts of the Nineties as the former Yugoslavia broke up and bloodshed followed.

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, announced funding for the project on the eve of a major meeting of foreign ministers in London aimed at boosting security and economic cooperation in the Western Balkans.

UK money will also help build digital skills and boost the employment prospects of youngsters in the six Western Balkan countries – Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

A £10million fund will see the British Council provide training for children in more than 4,500 schools and £1million will help address the legacy of conflict, including finding and identifying missing victims.

Mr Johnson said: “This new funding demonstrates the UK’S enduring commitment to the Western Balkans region. We are working internationally to provide young people, particularly young women, with the digital skills necessary to participate in the future economy and fulfil their potential.

“Importantly it also shows our desire to help the region overcome some of the most difficult chapters in their history and pave the way to an even more prosperous future.”

The meeting of foreign ministers will be followed tomorrow by a leaders’ summit hosted by Theresa May.

As well as the six Western Balkan nations, EU countries including Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Poland have been invited to take part.