Croatia, Italy overcome WW2 differences

Croatia, Italy overcome WW2 differences

Mesić responded that one could not but see elements of open racism, historical revisionism and political revenge-seeking in Napolitano's speech.

Disagreements from a few months ago are completely overcome, the Italian president said after meeting Mesić on Friday in Brno where a summit meeting of Central European countries was taking place.

When it comes to history, we have a clear common position, the Italian president said, adding that there was nothing that could create barriers in bilateral relations.

After meeting Napolitano on the margins of the Brno summit, President Mesić said that the chapter of the Second World War should be closed.

"Italy accepts all treaties we (Croatia) have inherited - the Osimo, Rome and Paris treaties, and Italy supports Croatia on its road towards the European Union. We could not ask for more than that," the Croatian president said.

He added that an initiative proposed by former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, about a visit by the presidents of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia to sites of mass executions of the Second World War, had been supported again.

Earlier in the day, Mesić met Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

On Saturday, the final day of the Brno event, Mesić is to meet Slovak President Ivan Gasparevic on the fringes of the summit.