Croatia’s EU membership “good for Serbia”

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic has said that Serbia could only benefit from Croatia's EU accession. “Serbia can only benefit from the fact that Croatia will become a member of the European Union in a year and a half, since it will profit from having an additional advocate for its purpose,” Josipovic told the Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) ahead of his Friday visit to Belgrade, where he will take part in a meeting of the Igman Initiative. Croatia’s EU membership “good for Serbia” The Croat president said Croatia would continue to politically support Serbia on its EU path. He pointed out that Serbia would have to meet all of EU's conditions just like Croatia had to do before Serbia, adding that Serbia's business environment would improve by having the EU in its immediate neighborhood. He stressed that relations between the two countries were far better now than at the time he had taken the office. “We need to be aware that in the situation where a great number of people got killed or had their houses destroyed and when the fates of around 1,800 people have not yet been resolved is quite delicate and opinions on the matter differ,” the president stressed. He also said that we had to face the fact that we viewed certain historical events with different eyes. “Croatia sees the Homeland War as a war of independence and this is the way we will always see it. What is important, however, is that we should remain aware that war crimes were also committed by the Croatian side and that every atrocity should be tried equally,” Josipovic explained. Asked how a Serbian businessman could invest in a project in Croatia, he said that one may apply for a tender, or, if one had enough money, invest in a Greenfield project. “I agree with those who complain that it is difficult to invest in Croatia, but we hear the same from the Germans, Americans and French, as well as from Croats themselves, said Josipovic. He also said that certain meetings, such as the meeting of the Igman Initiative, were only symbolic, but were nevertheless very important even though no concrete agreements were reached at them. Ivo Josipovic

Croatia’s EU membership “good for Serbia”

The Croat president said Croatia would continue to politically support Serbia on its EU path.

He pointed out that Serbia would have to meet all of EU's conditions just like Croatia had to do before Serbia, adding that Serbia's business environment would improve by having the EU in its immediate neighborhood.

He stressed that relations between the two countries were far better now than at the time he had taken the office.

“We need to be aware that in the situation where a great number of people got killed or had their houses destroyed and when the fates of around 1,800 people have not yet been resolved is quite delicate and opinions on the matter differ,” the president stressed.

He also said that we had to face the fact that we viewed certain historical events with different eyes.

“Croatia sees the Homeland War as a war of independence and this is the way we will always see it. What is important, however, is that we should remain aware that war crimes were also committed by the Croatian side and that every atrocity should be tried equally,” Josipović explained.

Asked how a Serbian businessman could invest in a project in Croatia, he said that one may apply for a tender, or, if one had enough money, invest in a Greenfield project.

“I agree with those who complain that it is difficult to invest in Croatia, but we hear the same from the Germans, Americans and French, as well as from Croats themselves, said Josipović.

He also said that certain meetings, such as the meeting of the Igman Initiative, were only symbolic, but were nevertheless very important even though no concrete agreements were reached at them.