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Serbia will call on Croatia to withdraw genocide charges

Belgrade, 19 March 2009

Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic stated prior to his first meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, who will arrive to Belgrade on March 20, that Serbia will call on Croatia to withdraw its charges of genocide against Serbia, in which case Serbia will withdraw its countercharges against Croatia.

Serbia will call on Croatia to withdraw genocide charges

Author: www.novosti.rs

Cvetkovic told daily Vecernje Novosti that there are open issues still burdening the relationship between Serbia and Croatia and disrupting the promotion of this important regional partnership.

Croatia and Serbia are key countries for the Western Balkans and the EU integration of the whole region largely depends on our two countries, he said, noting that EU integration is a strategic goal for both countries.

A better understanding and cooperation between Belgrade and Zagreb are conditions for the development of economic and political ties between the states of this region and a guarantee that the European perspective will win over the past, said Cvetkovic.

The Prime Minister stated that Serbia and Croatia both have a European perspective, noting that all possibilities for the promotion of relations will be discussed with Sanader.

He noted that the charges submitted by Croatia against Serbia are the biggest boundary to the further development of good relations.

We will call on Croatia to withdraw its charges of genocide against Serbia, in which case Serbia will be ready to withdraw its countercharges against Croatia.

This will be a chance for us to normalise relations between our two countries and clearly show that the two neighbors have removed the obstacle inherited from our recent past and imposed for political motives, the Prime Minister said.

Cvetkovic stressed that the return of Serb refugees to Croatia is another key issue.

Judging by information from the relevant international organisations, around 100,000 Serb refugees exiled during operation “Storm” in 1995 returned to Croatia. Serbia is interested in the return of all exiled persons who should be compensated and offered a decent living and employment, said Cvetkovic.

Cvetkovic noted that Croatia should try to reduce the number of “red warrants”, of which there are over 900, which would remove the obstacle to returning if Croatia published the so-called “secret warrants”.

Many people would then be freed from pressure and suspicion, which we believe would initiate return and speed up the resolution of this problem in a civilised way, he said.

Asked if Serbia is ready to process those “secret warrants”, Cvetkovic said that Serbia is willing to process any potential war crime case.

Likewise, it would be good to allow the Serbian public, media and witnesses to attend the trials in Croatia concerning crimes committed in operations Storm and Flash, said Cvetkovic.

Speaking about economic relations the Prime Minister stressed that Serbia advocates a free transit of goods and capital and wants the artificially created imbalance in trade to be annulled, he said, noting that this is the safest way to promote relations between the two countries.

We want Serbian companies to be able to participate on the Croatian market without boundaries. It is of the utmost importance to provide equal conditions of business operation for Serbian companies in Croatia, just like Croatian companies involved in the Serbian market, he said.

Cvetkovic said that the cooperation should be on equal and fair grounds.

If it is not a two-way street, then there is no economic logic to it, nor political justification, he stressed.

Hence I have complete faith in the understanding of the Croatian government and their openness toward Serbian capital and companies, said Cvetkovic.

As for the issue of the state border with Croatia, Cvetkovic said that Serbia will approach this issue constructively.

We expect understanding from Croatia toward our request relating to the border on the Danube and if we solve this problem now we will avoid the politicking of this problem and possible difficulties when joining the EU, stressed Cvetkovic.