Serb, Croat, Hungarian leaders meet

The presidents of Serbia, Croatia and Hungary meet this Friday in Pecs, Hungary. Boris Tadic, Ivo Josipovic and Laszlo Solyom addressed journalists afterwards. Serb, Croat, Hungarian leaders meet After the meeting, Tadic said that he hopes that Serbia would achieve candidate status for EU membership during Hungary’s EU presidency, if not sooner. Hungary will be taking over the EU presidency for a six-month term in January 2011. Tadic and Josipovic said that it is very important to implement new standards in the policies of reconciliation, which deserve full affirmation. Tadic said that he is proud that the Serbian parliament recently adopted its resolution for condemning the crimes committed in Srebrenica in 1995, adding that he hopes that other regional parliaments would be adopting similar resolution in the future. He said that Serbia wants Croatia to join the EU as soon as possible, because that would mean that Serbia would achieve its strategic goal of EU membership at a fast pace as well. Solyom stated that Hungary would continue to support the European paths of Serbia and Croatia, while Josipovic said that the future of Croatia is not complete without its neighbors joining the EU as well. "Serbia would like that Croatia becomes a EU member as early as possible since that implies that Serbia will also realize this strategic goal soon, and thus all our nations will be able to live together under a single European sky, recognizing, of course, the integrity of every individual country," the Serbian president stated. Josipovic expressed gratitude to Hungary for its support to Croatia's EU integration process, adding that he hopes that Croatia will complete the EU accession talks before the end of 2010. He said that Croatia's European future will not be complete unless its neighbors, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, go in the same direction. Solyom qualified the Friday meeting as very constructive, adding that such meetings are examples of good cooperation. "Hungary will do everything to make the EU accession of Serbia and Croatia as fast as possible. I hope that Serbia will achieve the EU candidate status during Hungary's presidency," Solyom stated. Hungary will help Serbia fulfill the EU questionnaire, he added. Earlier, it was announced in Budapest that the three presidents would discuss specific forms of cooperation, Beta reports. The Serbian, Croatian and Hungarian presidents will visit Zsolnay Museum and meet with the mayor of Pecs before going to lunch. After the three-way meeting, Tadic will also meet in Pecs with representatives of the Self-Government of Serbs in Hungary. Tadic will then together with Jospovic visit the village of Backi Monostor, in Vojvodina, northern Serbia, where they will meet with representatives of the Croat community. The three presidents meet (Tanjug) "Regional reconciliation is imperative" Serbian President Boris Tadic stated that the reconciliation of the people in the region is an "absolute imperative" for Serbia, adding that the Serbian parliament's adoption of the Declaration condemning the crime in Srebrenica is the product of Serbia's “absolute dedication” to restore trust and friendship in the region. “For us, reconciliation is seen as a moral imperative to tell the truth-the unadorned, factual, horrible truth of the bloodshed that must never return to our lands. We also understand it as being a categorical rejection of the individuals who falsely claimed to act in our name, and a repudiation of the policies that promoted violence and hatred,” Tadic said in an interview for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), published on Friday. By taking the lead in regional reconciliation, Serbia has opened the door for others to step through, in the hope that we can together build a prosperous and inclusive future as members of the European Union (EU)-our central strategic priority, Tadic said. “This is our vision, and we will see it through, come what may,” he added. Tadic underlined that Serbia has demonstrated the courage to be the first to apologize for heinous atrocities that were committed by all sides in the Yugoslav civil wars. “Accepting one's share of responsibility for what happened in the past is an integral part of the democratic consolidation of every country in our neighborhood. This is an indispensable step in the advancement of sustainable peace and stability in the Western Balkans,” Tadic underscored. Discussing the crime in Srebrenica in July 1995, Tadic said that this is one of the most tragic chapters of the Yugoslav civil wars of the 1990s. “In order to show that Serbia mourns for all the victims, I traveled to Srebrenica a year after I was first elected president of Serbia to stand with the survivors and bow to victims on the 10th anniversary of that terrible atrocity,” Tadic stated. According to Tadic, this opened up a fierce national debate on the misdeeds of the Slobodan Milosevic regime and increased regional awareness of the critical importance of reconciliation, a core European value that Serbia wholeheartedly embraced following the restoration of Serbian democracy on October 5, 2000. “Our similarities far outweighed our differences, as they still do, and while discrimination was not unheard of, it was far from rampant. In short, reconciliation helps us take back our past from the nefarious fear-mongers still lurking in our midst,” he said. It is against this backdrop that the Serbian parliament on March 30 adopted a historic declaration on Srebrenica that unequivocally condemned the war crimes that took place there, Tadic stated. “The declaration is the product of my country's absolute dedication to restore trust and promote friendship and understanding between two proud nations in our region and, more broadly, two great religious traditions present throughout our increasingly interdependent world,” Tadic said. “As such, this unprecedented document-the first of its kind in the Western Balkans-extends profound condolences and sincere apologies to the families of the Bosnian Muslim victims,” the Serbian president added. Moreover, the document reaffirms full support for the efforts of the Serbian government to successfully complete its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, which includes locating, arresting and extraditing the Bosnian Serb wartime commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic, Tadic stated. “The declaration also underlines Serbia's commitment to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We hope it will help facilitate a process for its three constituent peoples to come together in agreement on necessary internal reforms,” the president stated. “Silence is no longer acceptable, and neither is hiding behind outdated wartime rhetoric,” since “the era of accountability in our part of the world has begun, and it is here to stay,” the Serbian president concluded.

Serb, Croat, Hungarian leaders meet

After the meeting, Tadić said that he hopes that Serbia would achieve candidate status for EU membership during Hungary’s EU presidency, if not sooner.

Hungary will be taking over the EU presidency for a six-month term in January 2011.

Tadić and Josipović said that it is very important to implement new standards in the policies of reconciliation, which deserve full affirmation.

Tadić said that he is proud that the Serbian parliament recently adopted its resolution for condemning the crimes committed in Srebrenica in 1995, adding that he hopes that other regional parliaments would be adopting similar resolution in the future.

He said that Serbia wants Croatia to join the EU as soon as possible, because that would mean that Serbia would achieve its strategic goal of EU membership at a fast pace as well.

Solyom stated that Hungary would continue to support the European paths of Serbia and Croatia, while Josipović said that the future of Croatia is not complete without its neighbors joining the EU as well.

"Serbia would like that Croatia becomes a EU member as early as possible since that implies that Serbia will also realize this strategic goal soon, and thus all our nations will be able to live together under a single European sky, recognizing, of course, the integrity of every individual country," the Serbian president stated.

Josipović expressed gratitude to Hungary for its support to Croatia's EU integration process, adding that he hopes that Croatia will complete the EU accession talks before the end of 2010.

He said that Croatia's European future will not be complete unless its neighbors, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, go in the same direction.

Solyom qualified the Friday meeting as very constructive, adding that such meetings are examples of good cooperation.

"Hungary will do everything to make the EU accession of Serbia and Croatia as fast as possible. I hope that Serbia will achieve the EU candidate status during Hungary's presidency," Solyom stated.

Hungary will help Serbia fulfill the EU questionnaire, he added.

Earlier, it was announced in Budapest that the three presidents would discuss specific forms of cooperation, Beta reports.

The Serbian, Croatian and Hungarian presidents will visit Zsolnay Museum and meet with the mayor of Pecs before going to lunch.

After the three-way meeting, Tadić will also meet in Pecs with representatives of the Self-Government of Serbs in Hungary.

Tadić will then together with Jospović visit the village of Bački Monoštor, in Vojvodina, northern Serbia, where they will meet with representatives of the Croat community.

"Regional reconciliation is imperative"

Serbian President Boris Tadić stated that the reconciliation of the people in the region is an "absolute imperative" for Serbia, adding that the Serbian parliament's adoption of the Declaration condemning the crime in Srebrenica is the product of Serbia's “absolute dedication” to restore trust and friendship in the region.

“For us, reconciliation is seen as a moral imperative to tell the truth-the unadorned, factual, horrible truth of the bloodshed that must never return to our lands. We also understand it as being a categorical rejection of the individuals who falsely claimed to act in our name, and a repudiation of the policies that promoted violence and hatred,” Tadić said in an interview for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), published on Friday.

By taking the lead in regional reconciliation, Serbia has opened the door for others to step through, in the hope that we can together build a prosperous and inclusive future as members of the European Union (EU)-our central strategic priority, Tadić said.

“This is our vision, and we will see it through, come what may,” he added.

Tadić underlined that Serbia has demonstrated the courage to be the first to apologize for heinous atrocities that were committed by all sides in the Yugoslav civil wars.

“Accepting one's share of responsibility for what happened in the past is an integral part of the democratic consolidation of every country in our neighborhood. This is an indispensable step in the advancement of sustainable peace and stability in the Western Balkans,” Tadić underscored.

Discussing the crime in Srebrenica in July 1995, Tadić said that this is one of the most tragic chapters of the Yugoslav civil wars of the 1990s.

“In order to show that Serbia mourns for all the victims, I traveled to Srebrenica a year after I was first elected president of Serbia to stand with the survivors and bow to victims on the 10th anniversary of that terrible atrocity,” Tadić stated.

According to Tadić, this opened up a fierce national debate on the misdeeds of the Slobodan Milosevic regime and increased regional awareness of the critical importance of reconciliation, a core European value that Serbia wholeheartedly embraced following the restoration of Serbian democracy on October 5, 2000.

“Our similarities far outweighed our differences, as they still do, and while discrimination was not unheard of, it was far from rampant. In short, reconciliation helps us take back our past from the nefarious fear-mongers still lurking in our midst,” he said.

It is against this backdrop that the Serbian parliament on March 30 adopted a historic declaration on Srebrenica that unequivocally condemned the war crimes that took place there, Tadić stated.

“The declaration is the product of my country's absolute dedication to restore trust and promote friendship and understanding between two proud nations in our region and, more broadly, two great religious traditions present throughout our increasingly interdependent world,” Tadić said.

“As such, this unprecedented document-the first of its kind in the Western Balkans-extends profound condolences and sincere apologies to the families of the Bosnian Muslim victims,” the Serbian president added.

Moreover, the document reaffirms full support for the efforts of the Serbian government to successfully complete its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, which includes locating, arresting and extraditing the Bosnian Serb wartime commander, Gen. Ratko Mladic, Tadić stated.

“The declaration also underlines Serbia's commitment to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We hope it will help facilitate a process for its three constituent peoples to come together in agreement on necessary internal reforms,” the president stated.

“Silence is no longer acceptable, and neither is hiding behind outdated wartime rhetoric,” since “the era of accountability in our part of the world has begun, and it is here to stay,” the Serbian president concluded.