Serbian PM meets with Croatian president

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic has continued his two-day visit to Serbia with a meeting with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic. Cvetkovic said after talks with Josipovic that Serbia believes that good neighborly relations and regional cooperation are of great importance. Serbian PM meets with Croatian president Josipovic said that he supports the resolving of all open questions and to develop complete relations between Serbia and Croatia. The Serbian government stated that there would be active measures taken in the coming period for solving the problem of the return of refugees, their rights and the solving of the question of missing persons. “The Serbian government will continue to give full support to improving the situation of the Croat minority in Serbia and we expect Croatia to do the same thin for its Serb minority,” Cvetkovic said. He and Josipovic agreed that it was very important to improve economic cooperation through increasing trade between the two countries, but also to create conditions for the realization of investments. Cvetkovic also said that there is a good chance of cooperation in the fields of regional infrastructure and energy projects. It was also stated by the two officials after the meeting that in the European integration of both countries, it was important to support the development of all types of cooperation, especially in the sectors of security and the fight against organized crime. Josipovic and his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic will be meeting with refugee families in Belgrade, returnees to Croatia, and then take a walk in downtown Belgrade. Josipovic will also be meeting with officials of Serbian non-governmental organizations to discuss the normalization of relations and new strategies and policies towards the past and future of post-Yugoslav countries. Serbian and Croatian Interior Ministers Ivica Dacic and Tomislav Karamarko will meet to discuss dropping passport requirements for the citizens of the two countries crossing the Serbia-Croatia border. Josipovic said that a liberalization of the visa regime would have great benefits for both countries. “My stance is positive, and I will support the Croatian government accepting such an initiative. Minister Karamarko will be here, I am sure that he is also oriented toward this and I hope that we will soon have such a liberal regime that would be good for the development of tourism and good neighborly relations,” he said. During the first day of his visit on Sunday, Josipovic and Tadic agreed that relations between the two countries were improving, but that the list of unresolved issues was still long. Some of the main open questions between Croatia and Serbia are the return of Serb refugees to Croatia, borders, missing persons, and minority rights. At the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina, the two presidents said that ethnic minorities were "an important factor for connecting the countries of the region". “This is one of the central policies that Serbia is leading today, the preservation of identity, culture, written and spoken language, because every citizen of our country has the right to own his or her identity and no one can endanger any of those important points of personal identity,” Tadic said at the gathering in Serbia's northern town of Subotica. “Our minorities, the Croat minority in Serbia and the Serb one in Croatia, have a special role and importance, not only because we must secure the greatest and best possible situation for them as democratic countries, but also because we count on them as a bridge of friendship and cooperation,” Josipovic said. Tadic also said that he expects Zagreb to support dialogue for solving the Kosovo status question. However, Josipovic did not confirm whether Croatia considered such a request realistic, said our reporter. Tadic stated that relations between the two countries were of essential importance to the stability of the region, while Josipovic said that “these two countries are on a road to solving their problems” from the past. Josipovic also met with ethnic Croat officials in Subotica, and thanked the Croat minority there for preserving its identity and contributing to Serbia as well. Cvetkovic and Josipovic in Belgrade on Monday (Beta)

Serbian PM meets with Croatian president

Josipović said that he supports the resolving of all open questions and to develop complete relations between Serbia and Croatia.

The Serbian government stated that there would be active measures taken in the coming period for solving the problem of the return of refugees, their rights and the solving of the question of missing persons.

“The Serbian government will continue to give full support to improving the situation of the Croat minority in Serbia and we expect Croatia to do the same thin for its Serb minority,” Cvetković said.

He and Josipović agreed that it was very important to improve economic cooperation through increasing trade between the two countries, but also to create conditions for the realization of investments.

Cvetković also said that there is a good chance of cooperation in the fields of regional infrastructure and energy projects.

It was also stated by the two officials after the meeting that in the European integration of both countries, it was important to support the development of all types of cooperation, especially in the sectors of security and the fight against organized crime.

Josipović and his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadić will be meeting with refugee families in Belgrade, returnees to Croatia, and then take a walk in downtown Belgrade.

Josipović will also be meeting with officials of Serbian non-governmental organizations to discuss the normalization of relations and new strategies and policies towards the past and future of post-Yugoslav countries.

Serbian and Croatian Interior Ministers Ivica Dačić and Tomislav Karamarko will meet to discuss dropping passport requirements for the citizens of the two countries crossing the Serbia-Croatia border.

Josipović said that a liberalization of the visa regime would have great benefits for both countries.

“My stance is positive, and I will support the Croatian government accepting such an initiative. Minister Karamarko will be here, I am sure that he is also oriented toward this and I hope that we will soon have such a liberal regime that would be good for the development of tourism and good neighborly relations,” he said.

During the first day of his visit on Sunday, Josipović and Tadić agreed that relations between the two countries were improving, but that the list of unresolved issues was still long. Some of the main open questions between Croatia and Serbia are the return of Serb refugees to Croatia, borders, missing persons, and minority rights.

At the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina, the two presidents said that ethnic minorities were "an important factor for connecting the countries of the region".

“This is one of the central policies that Serbia is leading today, the preservation of identity, culture, written and spoken language, because every citizen of our country has the right to own his or her identity and no one can endanger any of those important points of personal identity,” Tadić said at the gathering in Serbia's northern town of Subotica.

“Our minorities, the Croat minority in Serbia and the Serb one in Croatia, have a special role and importance, not only because we must secure the greatest and best possible situation for them as democratic countries, but also because we count on them as a bridge of friendship and cooperation,” Josipović said.

Tadić also said that he expects Zagreb to support dialogue for solving the Kosovo status question. However, Josipović did not confirm whether Croatia considered such a request realistic, said our reporter.

Tadić stated that relations between the two countries were of essential importance to the stability of the region, while Josipović said that “these two countries are on a road to solving their problems” from the past.

Josipović also met with ethnic Croat officials in Subotica, and thanked the Croat minority there for preserving its identity and contributing to Serbia as well.