"Relations between Serbia and Croatia are important"

Serbian President Boris Tadic stated on Monday that the relations between Serbia and Croatia are too important to be jeopardized by inconsiderate statements. Answering journalists' questions about the latest "distancing" between the two countries, Tadic said that “certain stands and statements voiced by Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic are absolutely unacceptable”. "Relations between Serbia and Croatia are important" “Serbia-Croatia relations are too important to be jeopardized by a few inconsiderate statements,” Tadic stated in Prague at a press conference after a meeting with Czech President Vaclav Klaus. President Tadic underlined that the relations between Serbia and Croatia are of crucial importance for the stability in southeastern Europe. Tadic stated that he and Croatian President Ivo Josipovic have made great efforts to raise the bilateral relations at a higher level, and that this trend has to be continued. “We have to return to dialogue, resolve concrete problems and build the closest possible friendship between the Serbian and the Croatian people,” Tadic stated. Czech President Vaclav Klaus stated that it would be good to maintain good relations between Serbia and Croatia, and recalled to the meeting which was arranged earlier between the leaders of Serbia, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, adding that he would like to see the meeting held in the Lany Chateau near Prague, where he conferred with President Tadic on Monday. Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor stated during a visit to Pristina accompanied by a large number of Croatian businessmen interested to take over Kosovo market after Pristina's embargo on Serbian products that "the friendship between the Albanian and Croatian people was based on a joint fight against the ambitions for a greater Serbia". To this Serbian FM Vuk Jeremic reacted a few days later by saying: “With friends like Kosor, who needs enemies”. Commenting Tadic's statement that he would never allow for glorifying of war criminals such as was done by Croatia's officials, Kosor said that Tadic requested last year that the marking of anniversaries of Croatia's military-police Operation Storm - which targeted ethnic Serb areas of the country - should be "banned". A source close to Serbia's top officials told Tanjug that Kosor's claim was "utter nonsense". This year on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of Operation Storm, the Serbian president said that it was "just" that the persons responsible for Operation Storm were at the Hague Tribunal. A file photo of Tadic and Croat counterpart Josipovic (Tanjug)

"Relations between Serbia and Croatia are important"

“Serbia-Croatia relations are too important to be jeopardized by a few inconsiderate statements,” Tadić stated in Prague at a press conference after a meeting with Czech President Vaclav Klaus.

President Tadić underlined that the relations between Serbia and Croatia are of crucial importance for the stability in southeastern Europe.

Tadić stated that he and Croatian President Ivo Josipovic have made great efforts to raise the bilateral relations at a higher level, and that this trend has to be continued.

“We have to return to dialogue, resolve concrete problems and build the closest possible friendship between the Serbian and the Croatian people,” Tadić stated.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus stated that it would be good to maintain good relations between Serbia and Croatia, and recalled to the meeting which was arranged earlier between the leaders of Serbia, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, adding that he would like to see the meeting held in the Lany Chateau near Prague, where he conferred with President Tadić on Monday.

Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor stated during a visit to Priština accompanied by a large number of Croatian businessmen interested to take over Kosovo market after Priština's embargo on Serbian products that "the friendship between the Albanian and Croatian people was based on a joint fight against the ambitions for a greater Serbia".

To this Serbian FM Vuk Jeremić reacted a few days later by saying: “With friends like Kosor, who needs enemies”.

Commenting Tadić's statement that he would never allow for glorifying of war criminals such as was done by Croatia's officials, Kosor said that Tadić requested last year that the marking of anniversaries of Croatia's military-police Operation Storm - which targeted ethnic Serb areas of the country - should be "banned".

A source close to Serbia's top officials told Tanjug that Kosor's claim was "utter nonsense".

This year on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of Operation Storm, the Serbian president said that it was "just" that the persons responsible for Operation Storm were at the Hague Tribunal.