Serbia's team and strategy for mutual lawsuits "ready"

BELGRADE Rasim Ljajic says Serbia has set up a team for the proceedings in the mutual genocide lawsuits filed by Croatia and Serbia before the ICJ in The Hague. In a statement for Tanjug on Tuesday, Ljajic said it was "too late for a turnaround now and the solving of the case outside the courtroom," but this is not the worst possible scenario for Serbia because one stage of the crisis in former Yugoslavia and relations between Serbia and Croatia will finally get its epilogue in the court. Serbia's team and strategy for mutual lawsuits "ready" The deputy PM and president of the National Council for Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) also stated that the proceedings will begin in early March and Serbia's team is "ready" - as well as that the country had hired "top international experts in the field." The majority of members of the team worked in the Office for Cooperation with the ICTY and they have enormous experience, Ljajic said and added that the Office of the National Council will provide all the necessary logistics the team may need. Asked to explain his remark that this is not the worst twist of events for Serbia, Ljajic said that the court epilogue will make it possible for the region to start building relations on better grounds. Noting that he does not expect the proceedings to end in a catharsis, Ljajic said that reconciliation has to take place in the hearts and minds of people and that apologies of politicians and numerous international agreements are not enough. Croatia filed a genocide lawsuit against Serbia in 1999, and the International Court of Justice decided in 2008 that it does have jurisdiction to hear the case. On January 4, 2009, Serbia lodged a counter-suit, charging Croatia with genocidal actions and the ethnic cleansing of over 400,000 Serbs from Croatia during the 1990s war. The lawsuit against Croatia also deals with the crimes which the Ustasha movement, Croatian fascists, in the Independent State of Croatia committed against Serbs during World War II. Rasim Ljajic (Tanjug) Tanjug

Serbia's team and strategy for mutual lawsuits "ready"

The deputy PM and president of the National Council for Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) also stated that the proceedings will begin in early March and Serbia's team is "ready" - as well as that the country had hired "top international experts in the field."

The majority of members of the team worked in the Office for Cooperation with the ICTY and they have enormous experience, Ljajić said and added that the Office of the National Council will provide all the necessary logistics the team may need.

Asked to explain his remark that this is not the worst twist of events for Serbia, Ljajić said that the court epilogue will make it possible for the region to start building relations on better grounds.

Noting that he does not expect the proceedings to end in a catharsis, Ljajić said that reconciliation has to take place in the hearts and minds of people and that apologies of politicians and numerous international agreements are not enough.

Croatia filed a genocide lawsuit against Serbia in 1999, and the International Court of Justice decided in 2008 that it does have jurisdiction to hear the case.

On January 4, 2009, Serbia lodged a counter-suit, charging Croatia with genocidal actions and the ethnic cleansing of over 400,000 Serbs from Croatia during the 1990s war.

The lawsuit against Croatia also deals with the crimes which the Ustasha movement, Croatian fascists, in the Independent State of Croatia committed against Serbs during World War II.