"Serbia wants to enroll in university without passing exam"

"Serbia wants to enroll in university without passing exam"

"Of course that Croatia, as a member of the European Union, is helping to find a solution so that Serbia can move forward. We are in contact with the European Commission and member states of the European Union, we want to be constructive and to make progress, but there are many unclear things in the process," Kovac said, and continued:

"What is the goal? For Serbia to open that chapter that concerns the judiciary and fundamental rights? It's like enrolling in college, but before that, it must pass the entrance exam, something called negotiations on the criteria for this chapter. We did not arrive at that, we have arrived at defining what reading is necessary so that Serbia can enroll in university," said Kovac.

He added that Croatia has already said what this "reading" - i.e., the criteria and its demands - are.

"Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal must be complete, the judgment and the decision of the Hague Tribunal must be accepted, minority rights respected, the rule of law, including the rights of the Croat minority, which we want to be represented in the Assembly of Serbia, as well as the so-called jurisdictions of Serbia for war crimes in the entire territory of the former Yugoslavia," Kovac listed his country's demands, and added:

"We are close to a solution, but are arriving at it through consultation with the European Commission. We are serious, we do not pass half-information, I was surprised when I concluded that some of my friends from the EU came out with some information on which we had not agreed."

Kovac then reiterated that "this is not about the opening of chapters," and that Netherlands "wants to open them" while Croatia "wants to remain 'positive'."

"Our conditions are known, these are necessary steps in order to reach the intergovernmental conference that would consider the opening of chapters. We reject the word blockade, there is no blockade. I remember that it took two years for Serbia to open the first chapters, as major countries of the European Union were seeking to push forward dialogue with Kosovo. Relations with Kosovo should be established to the benefit of both countries. We reject the word blockade, if it is possible to open the chapters in June, they should be opened - the only thing is to first fulfill Croatian interests that are also the interests of the European Union," concluded Kovac.