Experts debate Serbo-Croat relations

SEIO Director Milica Delevic does not expect the bilateral relations between Serbia and Croatia to be disrupted. The head of the Serbian European Integration Office (SEIO), future Ambassador to Switzerland Milan St. Protic and the Director of the Balkans Fund for Democracy Ivan Vejvoda were guests in a B92 TV talk show last night. Experts debate Serbo-Croat relations They agreed that Croatia’s genocide lawsuit against Serbia, and our country's countersuit, "does not have to mean that the two countries’ EU integration process must be slowed down.” Delevic pointed out that Serbia’s ties with her western neighbor have significantly improved in the past few years, and that such actions of both countries did not necessarily mean that their bilateral relations would be disturbed. "The lawsuit has been on the table for a while, and yet, knowing that Serbia’s and Croatia’s relations have improved in many ways,” Delevic said, adding that she understood Serbia’s countersuit as an attempt to try and improve Serbia’s legal position. “In that sense I think of it as forced on Serbia,” she said. Vejvoda agreed with Delevic’s remark and said that in the last eight years the work on improving the ties between the region’s countries was "a more significant integration factor". "In that way, I do agree that this cannot harm the relations. It is a setback in the good bilateral spirit that is being conducted. I believe that we will see the good relations continue and that this [Croatia's genocide lawsuit] will be placed in one of the court’s drawers. There is also a possibility that the countersuit could lead to eventual settlement,” Vejvoda said. Milan St. Protic, who is the vice president of the oppositional Democratic Christian Party of Serbia (DHSS), said that there is an option, "which now seems the least likely", that both sides would drop their lawsuits. However, Protic reiterated that since 2000, Serbia invested a lot of effort in improving her relations with Croatia, adding that Belgrade also offered out-of-court settlement in the case. "Unfortunately Croatia rejected it. They wanted to reopen old wounds, that best left to heal. And once Croatia opened them, there was no other response, nor would anyone in Serbia understand why Serbia would keep quiet, and now, unfortunately, Serbia will enter this vicious, damned circle of misfortunes, crimes and tragedies.” Improved regional relations have been set as one of the most important conditions for Serbia’s rapid EU integration.

Experts debate Serbo-Croat relations

They agreed that Croatia’s genocide lawsuit against Serbia, and our country's countersuit, "does not have to mean that the two countries’ EU integration process must be slowed down.”

Delević pointed out that Serbia’s ties with her western neighbor have significantly improved in the past few years, and that such actions of both countries did not necessarily mean that their bilateral relations would be disturbed.

"The lawsuit has been on the table for a while, and yet, knowing that Serbia’s and Croatia’s relations have improved in many ways,” Delević said, adding that she understood Serbia’s countersuit as an attempt to try and improve Serbia’s legal position. “In that sense I think of it as forced on Serbia,” she said.

Vejvoda agreed with Delević’s remark and said that in the last eight years the work on improving the ties between the region’s countries was "a more significant integration factor".

"In that way, I do agree that this cannot harm the relations. It is a setback in the good bilateral spirit that is being conducted. I believe that we will see the good relations continue and that this [Croatia's genocide lawsuit] will be placed in one of the court’s drawers. There is also a possibility that the countersuit could lead to eventual settlement,” Vejvoda said.

Milan St. Protić, who is the vice president of the oppositional Democratic Christian Party of Serbia (DHSS), said that there is an option, "which now seems the least likely", that both sides would drop their lawsuits.

However, Protić reiterated that since 2000, Serbia invested a lot of effort in improving her relations with Croatia, adding that Belgrade also offered out-of-court settlement in the case.

"Unfortunately Croatia rejected it. They wanted to reopen old wounds, that best left to heal. And once Croatia opened them, there was no other response, nor would anyone in Serbia understand why Serbia would keep quiet, and now, unfortunately, Serbia will enter this vicious, damned circle of misfortunes, crimes and tragedies.”

Improved regional relations have been set as one of the most important conditions for Serbia’s rapid EU integration.