“Croatia won’t block Serbia’s EU integration”

There is no reason to fear that Croatia will, once it joins the EU, try to use the position to solve disputes with Serbia, Croat President Ivo Josipovic says. “There are no serious politicians in Croatia today that could use tripping methods, blackmails and blocking in relations with the neighbors,” he told Novi Sad-based daily Dnevnik. “Croatia won’t block Serbia’s EU integration” He added that his country had matured politically and that it had itself experienced what it was like to be blocked by a neighbor. Commenting on new Croatia’s Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic that withdrawal of genocide lawsuits would be mutually beneficial, Josipovic said that solving of disputes from the past was one of Croatia’s vital interests. “If we make the suits pointless through negotiations, if we solve the problems that have been burdening us, there is no need to continue the proceedings. However, if we don’t find a solution, the answer will be completely different,” the Croat president stressed, adding that his job was to protect and promote Croatia’s vital interests. He assessed that fear that Serbia would be stopped on the EU pathway was completely irrational. Josipovic added that someone was “taking advantage of the fear and it is directly detrimental to Serbia and the entire region’s interests, including Croatia and EU’s interests”. He said that the countries outside the EU did not have a very good perspective and repeated that Croatia would sincerely support Serbia on the EU pathway. According to him, not a single country of the region could afford to give up on the EU membership. “Just look at the crisis in Greece and imagine what would have happened if Greece had not had such a great support from the other EU countries. I don’t even want to mention enormous developmental possibilities that the EU membership has brought to the new members. There is no country that has not profited after it joined the EU,” the Croat president noted. Ivo Josipovic (FoNet, file) Beta Dnevnik Tanjug

“Croatia won’t block Serbia’s EU integration”

He added that his country had matured politically and that it had itself experienced what it was like to be blocked by a neighbor.

Commenting on new Croatia’s Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić that withdrawal of genocide lawsuits would be mutually beneficial, Josipović said that solving of disputes from the past was one of Croatia’s vital interests.

“If we make the suits pointless through negotiations, if we solve the problems that have been burdening us, there is no need to continue the proceedings. However, if we don’t find a solution, the answer will be completely different,” the Croat president stressed, adding that his job was to protect and promote Croatia’s vital interests.

He assessed that fear that Serbia would be stopped on the EU pathway was completely irrational.

Josipović added that someone was “taking advantage of the fear and it is directly detrimental to Serbia and the entire region’s interests, including Croatia and EU’s interests”.

He said that the countries outside the EU did not have a very good perspective and repeated that Croatia would sincerely support Serbia on the EU pathway.

According to him, not a single country of the region could afford to give up on the EU membership.

“Just look at the crisis in Greece and imagine what would have happened if Greece had not had such a great support from the other EU countries. I don’t even want to mention enormous developmental possibilities that the EU membership has brought to the new members. There is no country that has not profited after it joined the EU,” the Croat president noted.