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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Belgrade-Zagreb relations significant for entire region

Belgrade, 18 May 2004

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus and Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader agreed at a meeting in Zagreb today that bilateral relations between the two countries have improved and they voiced readiness to step up cooperation in all fields, especially in economy. Labus and Sanader concluded that relations between Belgrade and Zagreb are significant for stability and development in the entire Balkans.

Ivo Sanader and Miroljub Labus

Author: Tanjug

The two officials also discussed agricultural cooperation and pointed to the importance of a free trade agreement between Serbia-Montenegro and Croatia, due to take effect on July 1 this year.

Labus welcomed Croatia’s success in association with European institutions and EU candidacy, describing it as a positive signal to Western Balkan countries, including Serbia-Montenegro.

As an example of improving relations between the two countries, Labus and Sanader pointed to the cooperation in regional projects, such as the building of the Konstanza-Pancevo-Omisalj-Trieste oil pipeline. Croatia’s suspension of the visa regime for Serbia-Montenegrin citizens was also described as a contribution to good neighbour relations.

Labus also met with Croatian Minister of Economy Branko Vukelic and representatives of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce. During a meeting with Croatian businesspeople, many of which have already invested in Serbia, it was concluded that politicians should create favourable conditions for cooperation between the two countries’ businesses.

Labus also spoke to Croatian Minister for European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and exchanged information on Croatia’s experience in the process of association with the EU.

Grabar-Kitarovic expressed the hope that cooperation between the two countries will further improve, because, as she explained, the European Commission’s response to Croatia’s application for EU-membership is also an encouragement for other Balkan countries bent on joining the EU.

Labus also met with members of the Independent Democratic Serbian Party in the Croatian parliament, who expressed satisfaction with the policies of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader but stressed that the process of the return of refugees should be accelerated.

They added that this calls for cooperation between Serbia-Montenegro’s and Croatia’s state bodies in order to create conditions to find appropriate solutions to unresolved ownership issues.