“Serbia wants best possible relations with Bosnia”

BELGRADE Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic met with Bosnia-Herzegovina Foreign Minister and Council of Ministers Deputy Chairman Zlatko Lagumdzija on Thursday. The Serbian minister started his first official visit to Sarajevo today. “Serbia wants best possible relations with Bosnia” He noted that Serbia considered Bosnia-Herzegovina its closest neighbor and assessed that the two countries had many reasons to develop friendly relations. “We have common history, similar presence and we strive toward common future. We should make projects and initiatives that will make us stronger. Serbia is ready for that and it wants the best possible relations with Sarajevo,” Mrkic said after the meeting. When asked whether he and Presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic will discuss a possibility to organize a top-level meeting between the two countries, he said that “this will certainly be one of the topics of the talks”. “When it comes to two countries like Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, it is not important who will come first but to see each other as often as possible,” the minister pointed out. According to him, EU integrations represent priority for both countries and this is something that Belgrade and Sarajevo should concentrate on. Mrkic and Lagumdzija signed a memorandum of understanding between the Serbian government and the Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers on cooperation in the field of EU integration earlier today. The Serbian FM said that the two countries had to “practice on time” for what they would be doing as EU member states. The two ministers agreed that the two governments should meet as often as possible. “The goal is to meet twice a year and to achieve results that will speak for our intentions,” Mrkic said and expressed expectation that Lagumdzija would soon visit Belgrade. The Bosnian FM said he hoped that the first, working meeting of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Council of Ministers and the Serbian government would be held after Council of Ministers Chairman Vjekoslav Bevanda’s visit to Serbia. He added that Mrkic’s visit was important because it was his first visit to one of the countries of the region. He said that they had discussed open and unresolved issues, including border demarcation and property rights. According to Lagumdzija, it is not easy to find solutions but an agreement has been reached to work together on the issue. Later in the day, the Serbian FM will confer with Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic and Council of Ministers Chairman Vjekoslav Bevanda. Ahead of the visit to Sarajevo, Mrkic said that the relations between Belgrade and Sarajevo were good and stable but that there was still room for further improvement. He told Anadolu news agency that the aim of his visit to improve relations, adding that he expected Bevanda to visit Belgrade in the beginning of 2013. “Serbia sees Bosnia-Herzegovina as a very close state that it wants to have the best possible relations with,” the Serbian foreign minister underscored. When asked to comment on statements of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic about Srebrenica and “slow death of Bosnia-Herzegovina”, he said that they had been interpreted incorrectly. “We believe that it is best that legitimately elected representatives of the two countries talk on the high and highest level in order to resolve all possible misunderstandings,” Mrkic pointed out. He announced a possibility of a trilateral meeting at the highest level between Belgrade, Zagreb and Sarajevo. “This is certainly something we are thinking about,” Mrkic said. When asked whether Serbia would recognize possible independence of the Republic of Srpska (RS), he said: “I do not think that anyone sees it as a question or a possibility. This certainly is not something that Belgrade is thinking about,” the minister concluded. Ivan Mrkic (Beta, file) Tanjug

“Serbia wants best possible relations with Bosnia”

He noted that Serbia considered Bosnia-Herzegovina its closest neighbor and assessed that the two countries had many reasons to develop friendly relations.

“We have common history, similar presence and we strive toward common future. We should make projects and initiatives that will make us stronger. Serbia is ready for that and it wants the best possible relations with Sarajevo,” Mrkić said after the meeting.

When asked whether he and Presidency member Bakir Izetbegović will discuss a possibility to organize a top-level meeting between the two countries, he said that “this will certainly be one of the topics of the talks”.

“When it comes to two countries like Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, it is not important who will come first but to see each other as often as possible,” the minister pointed out.

According to him, EU integrations represent priority for both countries and this is something that Belgrade and Sarajevo should concentrate on.

Mrkić and Lagumdžija signed a memorandum of understanding between the Serbian government and the Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers on cooperation in the field of EU integration earlier today.

The Serbian FM said that the two countries had to “practice on time” for what they would be doing as EU member states.

The two ministers agreed that the two governments should meet as often as possible.

“The goal is to meet twice a year and to achieve results that will speak for our intentions,” Mrkić said and expressed expectation that Lagumdžija would soon visit Belgrade.

The Bosnian FM said he hoped that the first, working meeting of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Council of Ministers and the Serbian government would be held after Council of Ministers Chairman Vjekoslav Bevanda’s visit to Serbia.

He added that Mrkić’s visit was important because it was his first visit to one of the countries of the region. He said that they had discussed open and unresolved issues, including border demarcation and property rights.

According to Lagumdžija, it is not easy to find solutions but an agreement has been reached to work together on the issue.

Later in the day, the Serbian FM will confer with Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency member Bakir Izetbegović and Council of Ministers Chairman Vjekoslav Bevanda.

Ahead of the visit to Sarajevo, Mrkić said that the relations between Belgrade and Sarajevo were good and stable but that there was still room for further improvement.

He told Anadolu news agency that the aim of his visit to improve relations, adding that he expected Bevanda to visit Belgrade in the beginning of 2013.

“Serbia sees Bosnia-Herzegovina as a very close state that it wants to have the best possible relations with,” the Serbian foreign minister underscored.

When asked to comment on statements of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić about Srebrenica and “slow death of Bosnia-Herzegovina”, he said that they had been interpreted incorrectly.

“We believe that it is best that legitimately elected representatives of the two countries talk on the high and highest level in order to resolve all possible misunderstandings,” Mrkić pointed out.

He announced a possibility of a trilateral meeting at the highest level between Belgrade, Zagreb and Sarajevo.

“This is certainly something we are thinking about,” Mrkić said.

When asked whether Serbia would recognize possible independence of the Republic of Srpska (RS), he said:

“I do not think that anyone sees it as a question or a possibility. This certainly is not something that Belgrade is thinking about,” the minister concluded.