Analyst: Vučić’s visit to Zagreb to improve relations

ZAGREB Serbian First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic’s visit to Croatia is a continuation of improvement of the two countries’ bilateral relations. This is according to political analyst Davor Gjenero. Analyst: Vucic’s visit to Zagreb to improve relations He pointed out that it was good and useful that one of Serbia’s key politicians was visiting Croatia. Gjenero assessed that the Serbian side wanted to send a message that the two countries’ cooperation was in the best interest of both partners. “It is important to show that the cooperation has not only been reduced to cooperation between the two PMs, who are both from socialist options, two foreign ministers on a technical level but that it is important that the deputy PM is taking part in the cooperation process because he is important because he comes from the biggest party of the ruling coalition in Serbia,” he explained. He denied media allegations that Vucic would visit Zagreb under the U.S. and Germany’s pressure. “You never have a direct pressure in a sense of someone telling someone else where to go. When (Croatian PM Zoran) Milanovic came to Belgrade in January, they tried to reduce the significance of his visit by claiming that he had been sent by Americans or Germans. The governments need to cooperate at the highest level and neither the U.S. nor other countries have time to deal with the volume of Zagreb and Belgrade’s contacts and who is meeting whom and where,” Gjenero noted. Commenting on Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic’s apology for crimes committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, he said that the statement had additionally relaxed relations in the region. “We will see if a meeting between Presidents Ivo Josipovic and Tomislav Nikolic will happen soon,” the analyst added. Aleksandar Vucic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Analyst: Vučić’s visit to Zagreb to improve relations

He pointed out that it was good and useful that one of Serbia’s key politicians was visiting Croatia.

Gjenero assessed that the Serbian side wanted to send a message that the two countries’ cooperation was in the best interest of both partners.

“It is important to show that the cooperation has not only been reduced to cooperation between the two PMs, who are both from socialist options, two foreign ministers on a technical level but that it is important that the deputy PM is taking part in the cooperation process because he is important because he comes from the biggest party of the ruling coalition in Serbia,” he explained.

He denied media allegations that Vučić would visit Zagreb under the U.S. and Germany’s pressure.

“You never have a direct pressure in a sense of someone telling someone else where to go. When (Croatian PM Zoran) Milanović came to Belgrade in January, they tried to reduce the significance of his visit by claiming that he had been sent by Americans or Germans. The governments need to cooperate at the highest level and neither the U.S. nor other countries have time to deal with the volume of Zagreb and Belgrade’s contacts and who is meeting whom and where,” Gjenero noted.

Commenting on Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić’s apology for crimes committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, he said that the statement had additionally relaxed relations in the region.

“We will see if a meeting between Presidents Ivo Josipović and Tomislav Nikolić will happen soon,” the analyst added.