Serbian, Croatian presidents on lawsuits

The presidents of Croatia and Serbia met yesterday informally and said the countries' mutual genocide lawsuits could be settled out of court. Boris Tadic told reporters after the meeting that it would be good for the matter to end in a settlement, "which does not mean the end of court proceedings against those who have committed crimes". Serbian, Croatian presidents on lawsuits He stressed that all those who have committed crimes must be brought to justice. "We are prepared to work on a solution that would represent a compromise, but which would not annul the principles of justice," the Serbian president said. His Croatian counterpart Ivo Josipovic pointed out that the lawsuit is not an end in itself, stressing that "if there is a possibility for a settlement in the issues that are the subject of the lawsuit, then it would make no sense." Both presidents endorsed building better relations between the two countries based on the principles of European partnership. This was Tadic's first meeting with the new Croatian president, which took place, according to Croatian sources, by mutual agreement in a bid to encourage dialogue on unresolved matters. They are due to meet again in Brussels on Saturday, during a forum there. An out of court settlement of mutual genocide lawsuits between Croatia and Serbia should lead to reconciliation, international law expert Radoslav Stojanovic stated. Stojanovic was one of Serbia's representatives before the ICJ in the genocide lawsuit filed by Bosnia-Herzegovina. He said that the announcement of a possible settlement, was a good solution. According to him, that should not be reduced to "bargaining on the amount of damages“, but should go in the direction of reconciliation. Stojanovic stated that he had an opportunity to speak to Croatian President Ivo Josipovic three years ago, who was at the time Croatia's legal counsel, and that he was in favor of a withdrawal of the lawsuit even then. “If there is a man who can be talked to, that it is certainly Josipovic. There is not a court in the world in general which does not welcome a proposal for reconciliation. That is the only possibility to for a civil war to end,“ Stojanovic was quoted as saying. “I think it should be called negotiations about national reconciliation. Victims can be, so to speak, compensated only by admitting that we or the other party have committed them (sic) and to draw some remorse from it, and the confession itself to warn us primarily that we must not experience that again in the future,“ Stojanovic said. Tadic and Josipovic meet (Beta)

Serbian, Croatian presidents on lawsuits

He stressed that all those who have committed crimes must be brought to justice.

"We are prepared to work on a solution that would represent a compromise, but which would not annul the principles of justice," the Serbian president said.

His Croatian counterpart Ivo Josipović pointed out that the lawsuit is not an end in itself, stressing that "if there is a possibility for a settlement in the issues that are the subject of the lawsuit, then it would make no sense."

Both presidents endorsed building better relations between the two countries based on the principles of European partnership.

This was Tadić's first meeting with the new Croatian president, which took place, according to Croatian sources, by mutual agreement in a bid to encourage dialogue on unresolved matters.

They are due to meet again in Brussels on Saturday, during a forum there.

An out of court settlement of mutual genocide lawsuits between Croatia and Serbia should lead to reconciliation, international law expert Radoslav Stojanović stated.

Stojanović was one of Serbia's representatives before the ICJ in the genocide lawsuit filed by Bosnia-Herzegovina.

He said that the announcement of a possible settlement, was a good solution. According to him, that should not be reduced to "bargaining on the amount of damages“, but should go in the direction of reconciliation.

Stojanović stated that he had an opportunity to speak to Croatian President Ivo Josipović three years ago, who was at the time Croatia's legal counsel, and that he was in favor of a withdrawal of the lawsuit even then.

“If there is a man who can be talked to, that it is certainly Josipović. There is not a court in the world in general which does not welcome a proposal for reconciliation. That is the only possibility to for a civil war to end,“ Stojanović was quoted as saying.

“I think it should be called negotiations about national reconciliation. Victims can be, so to speak, compensated only by admitting that we or the other party have committed them (sic) and to draw some remorse from it, and the confession itself to warn us primarily that we must not experience that again in the future,“ Stojanović said.