Croatian president on official visit to Serbia

BELGRADE President Tomislav Nikolic has welcomed his Croatian counterpart Ivo Josipovic in Belgrade on Wednesday where they are expected to discuss "outstanding issues." The will also talk about EU integration and the problems of importance for the promotion of regional cooperation, according to announcements ahead of the visit. Croatian president on official visit to Serbia Josipovic was given a ceremonial welcome in front of the Palace of Serbia, after which he began his meeting with President Nikolic. It is be the first official meeting of the two presidents since Nikolic was elected in May last year. Nikolic and Josipovic previously met on the sidelines of international meetings several times, and the Serbian president was in Zagreb for the celebration of Croatia’s accession to the European Union on July 1. It is expected that Nikolic and Josipovic will talk about border-related issues, strengthening economic cooperation, the issue of property belonging to the Republic of Serbia and its citizens in Croatia, property and other rights of Serbian refugees and the resolution of the issue of missing persons. The one-on-one meeting will be followed by talks between the delegations of the two countries. The Serbian delegation, led by President Nikolic, will include Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic, Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic and Serbian Ambassador to Croatia Stanimir Vukicevic. The Croatian delegation, headed by Josipovic, will also comprise Deputy Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Josko Klisovic, War Veterans' Affairs Minister Predrag Matic and Croatian Ambassador to Serbia Gordan Markotic. According to a release from the Serbian government, Josipovic will meet with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic around noon and address Serbian lawmakers at a special parliament meeting on Thursday afternoon. Josipovic and Nikolic will then meet with representatives of the Association of Serb refugees expelled from Croatia during the 1991-95 civil war in the country. On Thursday, Josipovic and Nikolic will visit Donji Tavankut in the Subotica municipality, where they will meet with representatives of the Croatian community and visit the Gallery of the First Colony of Straw Technique Naive Art. According to Zagreb-based media, on the second day of his visit to Belgrade, Josipovic will be join (Tanjug) "Lawsuits will be discussed" The withdrawing of genocide lawsuits Croatia and Serbia filed against one another before the ICJ "will certainly be one of the topics on the agenda" as Nikolic and Josipovic meet, Nikolic's adviser for the media Stanislava Pak-Stankovic told Radio Free Europe. She said that the visit was very important for improving regional cooperation, and that Serbia was sending a clear message that all problems can be solved through open and constructive dialogue. "The future of the good mutual cooperation will certainly have its operationalization as soon as today," she was quoted as saying. Pak-Stankovic noted that the Serbian authorities were "surprised" when they learned Croatia had decided not to withdraw its genocide lawsuit now, and added that "the process goes on, our legal experts will work on that case." She said that Serbia "did not wish to raise any tensions" over the problems related to the use of the Serbian Cyrillic script in Vukovar: "The law on minorities must be implemented and we appreciate the statements from the Croatian side that have been encouraging, that the signs must not be removed. We are convinced it will be implemented in the end." Pak-Stankovic said the the Serbian side understood the importance of the problem of missing persons, but that "this must be done mutually, in other words, it is a matter of reciprocity." B92 Tanjug RFE

Croatian president on official visit to Serbia

Josipović was given a ceremonial welcome in front of the Palace of Serbia, after which he began his meeting with President Nikolić.

It is be the first official meeting of the two presidents since Nikolić was elected in May last year.

Nikolić and Josipović previously met on the sidelines of international meetings several times, and the Serbian president was in Zagreb for the celebration of Croatia’s accession to the European Union on July 1.

It is expected that Nikolić and Josipović will talk about border-related issues, strengthening economic cooperation, the issue of property belonging to the Republic of Serbia and its citizens in Croatia, property and other rights of Serbian refugees and the resolution of the issue of missing persons.

The one-on-one meeting will be followed by talks between the delegations of the two countries.

The Serbian delegation, led by President Nikolić, will include Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic, Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic and Serbian Ambassador to Croatia Stanimir Vukicevic.

The Croatian delegation, headed by Josipović, will also comprise Deputy Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Josko Klisović, War Veterans' Affairs Minister Predrag Matić and Croatian Ambassador to Serbia Gordan Markotić.

According to a release from the Serbian government, Josipović will meet with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić around noon and address Serbian lawmakers at a special parliament meeting on Thursday afternoon.

Josipović and Nikolić will then meet with representatives of the Association of Serb refugees expelled from Croatia during the 1991-95 civil war in the country.

On Thursday, Josipović and Nikolić will visit Donji Tavankut in the Subotica municipality, where they will meet with representatives of the Croatian community and visit the Gallery of the First Colony of Straw Technique Naive Art.

According to Zagreb-based media, on the second day of his visit to Belgrade, Josipović will be join

"Lawsuits will be discussed"

The withdrawing of genocide lawsuits Croatia and Serbia filed against one another before the ICJ "will certainly be one of the topics on the agenda" as Nikolić and Josipović meet, Nikolić's adviser for the media Stanislava Pak-Stanković told Radio Free Europe.

She said that the visit was very important for improving regional cooperation, and that Serbia was sending a clear message that all problems can be solved through open and constructive dialogue.

"The future of the good mutual cooperation will certainly have its operationalization as soon as today," she was quoted as saying.

Pak-Stanković noted that the Serbian authorities were "surprised" when they learned Croatia had decided not to withdraw its genocide lawsuit now, and added that "the process goes on, our legal experts will work on that case."

She said that Serbia "did not wish to raise any tensions" over the problems related to the use of the Serbian Cyrillic script in Vukovar:

"The law on minorities must be implemented and we appreciate the statements from the Croatian side that have been encouraging, that the signs must not be removed. We are convinced it will be implemented in the end."

Pak-Stanković said the the Serbian side understood the importance of the problem of missing persons, but that "this must be done mutually, in other words, it is a matter of reciprocity."