Serbian, Bosnian, Turkish leaders meet

A summit of top officials from Serbia, Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina was held on Tuesday in the resort of Karadjordjevo, northwestern Serbia. Serbian President Boris Tadic, Turkish President Abdullah Gul and the tripartite presidency of Bosnia, including Serb, Muslim and Croat members, Nebojsa Radmanovic, Bakir Izetbegovic and Zeljko Komsic, all took part. Serbian, Bosnian, Turkish leaders meet The future of the Balkan region lies in overcoming prejudices, reconciliation and non-interference in internal affairs of other states, the participants in the summit concluded. Boris Tadic said that "prejudices that stem from our difficult history must be fought against together, because otherwise we will face many problems in the future". Serbia will "never support a referendum that would lead to the breakup of Bosnia-Herzegovina and in any way bring into question the integrity of that country", he also told reporters during a joint news conference. Tadic said that Serbia fully respected the Dayton peace agreement and territorial integrity of all its neighbors, "but that it expects the same from them when it comes to Kosovo". The Serbian president told reporters that Serbia held strongly to the stance that all war crimes must be processed and condemned, "because that is the only way to reach truth and full reconciliation among nations". He also noted that Serbia has extradited 44 out of 46 war crimes suspects indicted by the Hague Tribunal, and said that "everything was being done to arrest the remaining two fugitives". Tadic, his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, and Chairman of the Bosnian Presidency Nebojsa Radmanovic stressed the need to "improve bilateral and trilateral cooperation", with three countries working toward the goal of seeing the Western Balkans "integrated into the EU as soon as possible". Gul also asserted that the Balkans "is not on the margins of Europe, but is rather at its heart", and spoke in favor of the region "gathering under a wider EU and NATO umbrella". According to reports from Karadjordjevo, the Turkish president also stated that "all three countries wish to see increased cooperation in order to solve the burning issues", and that this should come "along with respect for principles of preservation of sovereignty and integrity and without interfering in other countries' internal affairs". Radmanovic noted that the meeting also addressed the issue of war crimes indictments raised by Serbia and Croatia against citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina, saying that this "created political problems in Bosnia". The summit's participants will also hold bilateral meetings, and later adopt a joint statement. The meeting today comes one year after Tadic, Gul and then head of the Bosnian presidency Haris Silajdzic met in Istanbul, where they signed a declaration stressing the importance of national reconciliation and willingness to take any steps necessary to ensure regional peace, stability and prosperity. It also comes two decades after then Serbian and Croatian presidents Slobodan Milosevic and Franjo Tudjman met at the same resort, for what are widely believed to have been talks dedicated to attempts to partition Bosnia. This time, according to announcements, the discussion was about the functioning of Bosnia, as well as regional and inter-state cooperation. The news conference (Beta)

Serbian, Bosnian, Turkish leaders meet

The future of the Balkan region lies in overcoming prejudices, reconciliation and non-interference in internal affairs of other states, the participants in the summit concluded.

Boris Tadić said that "prejudices that stem from our difficult history must be fought against together, because otherwise we will face many problems in the future".

Serbia will "never support a referendum that would lead to the breakup of Bosnia-Herzegovina and in any way bring into question the integrity of that country", he also told reporters during a joint news conference.

Tadić said that Serbia fully respected the Dayton peace agreement and territorial integrity of all its neighbors, "but that it expects the same from them when it comes to Kosovo".

The Serbian president told reporters that Serbia held strongly to the stance that all war crimes must be processed and condemned, "because that is the only way to reach truth and full reconciliation among nations".

He also noted that Serbia has extradited 44 out of 46 war crimes suspects indicted by the Hague Tribunal, and said that "everything was being done to arrest the remaining two fugitives".

Tadić, his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, and Chairman of the Bosnian Presidency Nebojša Radmanović stressed the need to "improve bilateral and trilateral cooperation", with three countries working toward the goal of seeing the Western Balkans "integrated into the EU as soon as possible".

Gul also asserted that the Balkans "is not on the margins of Europe, but is rather at its heart", and spoke in favor of the region "gathering under a wider EU and NATO umbrella".

According to reports from Karađorđevo, the Turkish president also stated that "all three countries wish to see increased cooperation in order to solve the burning issues", and that this should come "along with respect for principles of preservation of sovereignty and integrity and without interfering in other countries' internal affairs".

Radmanović noted that the meeting also addressed the issue of war crimes indictments raised by Serbia and Croatia against citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina, saying that this "created political problems in Bosnia".

The summit's participants will also hold bilateral meetings, and later adopt a joint statement.

The meeting today comes one year after Tadić, Gul and then head of the Bosnian presidency Haris Silajdžić met in Istanbul, where they signed a declaration stressing the importance of national reconciliation and willingness to take any steps necessary to ensure regional peace, stability and prosperity.

It also comes two decades after then Serbian and Croatian presidents Slobodan Milošević and Franjo Tuđman met at the same resort, for what are widely believed to have been talks dedicated to attempts to partition Bosnia.

This time, according to announcements, the discussion was about the functioning of Bosnia, as well as regional and inter-state cooperation.