LAST week I went to Bosnia-Herzegovina with parliamentarians from across Europe. It is 17 years since the Bosnian Serbs slaughtered 8,000 men and boys at Srebrenica – an appalling act of genocide committed while the world looked on.

The risk is that today the world is allowing similar atrocities in Syria. I am deeply ashamed that this took place in Europe in my lifetime.

I am all the more ashamed when I meet the women of Srebrenica and hear the tales of how their husbands and sons were taken from them and the dignity and gratitude they expr-ess for the interest we show them.

It is staggering to think that the city where Torvill and Dean stunned the world with their performance to Bolero, was eight years later the focus of the longest siege in modern warfare.

Our trip was not the usual meeting and greeting of dignitaries. The main purpose of our visit was to renovate a special needs school in Sarajevo.

Our philosophy is that deeper and lasting relationships are built when we have got our hands dirty and made a real difference.

So whether it is building houses or a football pitch or renovating a school we are all building relationships with a country which is troubled and needs support. And while the Bosniaks are Muslim, wherever you go you will be invited to sup a glass of rakija with your host.

Thankfully the perpetrators of the appalling crimes are being tried in the Hague, but there is still a lot to do. Unemployment is a challenge and the brightest and best are leaving to seek their fortunes elsewhere, away from ethnic unrest.

Given that Europe has allowed Croatia to join the EU and granted Serbia candidate status, the leaders could be forgiven for feeling they are being neglected because they are a muslim nation.

I will continue my efforts to support Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo at a political level. But my belief is that a lasting peace and an end to ethnic tension will be best achieved through economic growth.

Sarajevo is a modern European city with great architectural heritage and well worth a visit. The opportunities for ski-ing are great. So as you think about where to spend your holidays, have a think about Bosnia – the pound goes a long way there.

But as with the holocaust, we must never forget and must continue to fight acts of genocide.