Croatian president won't attend Nikolić's inauguration

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic confirmed Wednesday he would not attend the inauguration of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic. However, he expressed his wish for the continuation of good relations between the two countries. Croatian president won't attend Nikolic's inauguration "I will not go to Belgrade and attend Nikolic's inauguration for reasons I have already explained," Josipovic told reporters after a meeting with Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga. “Croatia's interest as a country is to build good relations with all countries, including Serbia,” Josipovic stated in Vukovar on Tuesday. “I hope that the positions of newly elected Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will change,” he added. “We have made significant progress in relations in the past two to three years and it would be a shame if those relations stopped developing due to tactless and wrong statements and political concepts,” Josipovicc said, commenting Nikolic's recent statement on Vukovar. "Of course, Croatia reacted to those statements, and I hope Nikolic's positions will change," he stressed. Croatian media reported last week that, in an interview for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Nikolic said that Vukovar was a Serbian city and that Croats had no reason to go back there, which was later fiercely denied by Nikolic's cabinet, but had previously provoked strong reactions of Croatian officials and public. Ivo Josipovic (FoNet, file) Tanjug

Croatian president won't attend Nikolić's inauguration

"I will not go to Belgrade and attend Nikolić's inauguration for reasons I have already explained," Josipović told reporters after a meeting with Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga.

“Croatia's interest as a country is to build good relations with all countries, including Serbia,” Josipović stated in Vukovar on Tuesday.

“I hope that the positions of newly elected Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić will change,” he added.

“We have made significant progress in relations in the past two to three years and it would be a shame if those relations stopped developing due to tactless and wrong statements and political concepts,” Josipovicć said, commenting Nikolić's recent statement on Vukovar.

"Of course, Croatia reacted to those statements, and I hope Nikolić's positions will change," he stressed.

Croatian media reported last week that, in an interview for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Nikolić said that Vukovar was a Serbian city and that Croats had no reason to go back there, which was later fiercely denied by Nikolić's cabinet, but had previously provoked strong reactions of Croatian officials and public.