“Croatia-Serbia relations are strategic”

Newly elected Croatian President Ivo Josipovic says he believes relations between Croatia and Serbia are strategic. He also expressing belief that he will soon meet with Serbian President Boris Tadic. “Croatia-Serbia relations are strategic” In an interview for Croatian Nova TV on Monday evening, Josipovic said that the idea that both countries should drop the lawsuits for genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was “something that should be thoroughly and seriously discussed, to see whether certain problems and obstacles can be resolved without lawsuits”. “Croatia's lawsuit was filed when there was no will to handle issues like the fate of missing persons, war crime trials and return of cultural treasures that were lost in the war, but the situation has now improved,” he pointed out. “The possible dropping of both lawsuits must be thoroughly discussed, as this is not a taboo,” Josipovic said, adding that the citizens “have certain unrealistic expectations about the lawsuit”. “That is why we need to break some illusions, because with highly unrealistic expectations come great disappointments,” Josipovic underscored. Croatia filed its lawsuit some ten years ago; Serbia’s countersuit came earlier this month. Both countries allege that genocide took place during the war in the first half of the 1990s, after the breakup of Yugoslavia. Ivo Josipovic (Tanjug)

“Croatia-Serbia relations are strategic”

In an interview for Croatian Nova TV on Monday evening, Josipović said that the idea that both countries should drop the lawsuits for genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was “something that should be thoroughly and seriously discussed, to see whether certain problems and obstacles can be resolved without lawsuits”.

“Croatia's lawsuit was filed when there was no will to handle issues like the fate of missing persons, war crime trials and return of cultural treasures that were lost in the war, but the situation has now improved,” he pointed out.

“The possible dropping of both lawsuits must be thoroughly discussed, as this is not a taboo,” Josipović said, adding that the citizens “have certain unrealistic expectations about the lawsuit”.

“That is why we need to break some illusions, because with highly unrealistic expectations come great disappointments,” Josipović underscored.

Croatia filed its lawsuit some ten years ago; Serbia’s countersuit came earlier this month. Both countries allege that genocide took place during the war in the first half of the 1990s, after the breakup of Yugoslavia.