BELGRADE -- “I wish for improved relations with Serbia, and good neighborly relations will be one of the priorities of my politics,” says Croatian President Ivo Josipović.
BELGRADE -- “I wish for improved relations with Serbia, and good neighborly relations will be one of the priorities of my politics,” says Croatian President Ivo Josipović.
Source: B92, Beta, Blic
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“I would like to start cooperation and dialogue about contentious issues,“ Josipović was quoted as saying.
Commenting on the Serbian president’s announcement that he would not attend the inauguration if Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu were invited as well, the Croatian president said that ’’he had most kindly invited Tadić“ and that he would like for him to come.
“I understand the problems that Serbia has with Kosovo’s proclamation of independence, but I do not wish for relations with third countries to define relations between Serbia and Croatia. Invitations to the inaugurations have been sent to all the countries we have diplomatic relations with, including Kosovo,“ he stated.
The newly elected Croatian president announced that one of the topics of his first official meeting with the Serbian president would “certainly be mutual [genocide] lawsuits before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)”.
“The lawsuits are definitely not contributing to the improvement of relations. That is why it is better to solve the problem without court proceedings. And it would be better if the problem had already been solved. At my inauguration I will suggest to President Tadić to address the issues without the need for the lawsuits,“ Josipović said.
Commenting on the conditions which he said that Serbia needed to fulfill so Croatia would withdraw its suit – filed a decade ago, and countered by Serbia earlier this month – he said that “the lawsuit was not a purpose to itself and that it would lose its purpose if the problems were solved.“
The Croatian president said that the names of Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić had not been mentioned in these conditions until now but that one of them was “complete cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and punishment of war crimes. And it is completely clear that the Tribunal is demanding the arrest of Mladić and Hadžić”.
He rejected claims that this was Croatia’s way of showing that it was the region’s leader and that it could pressure Serbia.
“Mladić is wanted by the Hague Tribunal because of the crimes. I think it is reasonable that Croatia is interested in their extradition considering the crimes they are suspected of committing in the Croatian territory. Just like Croatia was required to fulfill its obligations regarding the Hague Tribunal I do not see why it would be a problem for Serbia to fulfill its own,“ Josipović told the daily said.
Meanwhile in Belgrade, Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb Žarko Puhovski said that “better days for Croatian-Serbian relations were coming with Ivo Josipović as president”.
Puhovski spoke for B92 TV late last night when he said that it was “clear that Zagreb too would withdraw the genocide lawsuit”.
Brussels is also carefully monitoring developments in the relations between Belgrade and Zagreb.
According to Beta news agency, which quoted its sources with the EU Council of Ministers, the entire region would benefit from improvement of relations, “and not just Serbia and Croatia”.
Hints coming from both countries that they were ready to withdraw their lawsuits have already been welcomed, says the agency.
The truth must come out into the open, rather than be veiled by time. For without truth and reconcilliation both peoples can't move forward, but always look at the past. Even the old adage, "Those who don't learn from the past, are condemned to repeat them..." outlines the possible consequences.
(Dragan, Toronto, 19 January 2010 02:14)
As I said before; Either everyone sues everyone or no one sues anyone. This is history now, we all need to move on. What the serbs did to croats and what the croats did to the serbs are all un-forgivable. We all just harmed ourselves, but we all see now who the enemy is stay strong my brothers
(Darko, 18 January 2010 20:46)
Croatia received a pass to walkway from all it's crimes. Serbia needs to stay strong and fight for all the wonderful people that lost their lives to the Croatian knife in WWII and the 90's.
(Clooney, 18 January 2010 16:02)
Justice for all. All victums should be recognized. Lets lawsuits stand. This is the only way to come to the truth and discover all the lies and propaganda. World deserves to know reason for Balkan mess and "humanitarien" war.
(R, 18 January 2010 15:23)
Justice for all. All victums should be recognized. Lets lawsuits stand. This is the only way to come to the truth and discover all the lies and propaganda. World deserves to know reason for Balkan mess and "humanitarien" war.
(R, 18 January 2010 15:23)
Croatia received a pass to walkway from all it's crimes. Serbia needs to stay strong and fight for all the wonderful people that lost their lives to the Croatian knife in WWII and the 90's.
(Clooney, 18 January 2010 16:02)
As I said before; Either everyone sues everyone or no one sues anyone. This is history now, we all need to move on. What the serbs did to croats and what the croats did to the serbs are all un-forgivable. We all just harmed ourselves, but we all see now who the enemy is stay strong my brothers
(Darko, 18 January 2010 20:46)
The truth must come out into the open, rather than be veiled by time. For without truth and reconcilliation both peoples can't move forward, but always look at the past. Even the old adage, "Those who don't learn from the past, are condemned to repeat them..." outlines the possible consequences.
(Dragan, Toronto, 19 January 2010 02:14)
Croatia received a pass to walkway from all it's crimes. Serbia needs to stay strong and fight for all the wonderful people that lost their lives to the Croatian knife in WWII and the 90's.
(Clooney, 18 January 2010 16:02)
Justice for all. All victums should be recognized. Lets lawsuits stand. This is the only way to come to the truth and discover all the lies and propaganda. World deserves to know reason for Balkan mess and "humanitarien" war.
(R, 18 January 2010 15:23)
As I said before; Either everyone sues everyone or no one sues anyone. This is history now, we all need to move on. What the serbs did to croats and what the croats did to the serbs are all un-forgivable. We all just harmed ourselves, but we all see now who the enemy is stay strong my brothers
(Darko, 18 January 2010 20:46)
The truth must come out into the open, rather than be veiled by time. For without truth and reconcilliation both peoples can't move forward, but always look at the past. Even the old adage, "Those who don't learn from the past, are condemned to repeat them..." outlines the possible consequences.
(Dragan, Toronto, 19 January 2010 02:14)