FM: Croatia must withdraw lawsuit first

BELGRADE The sequence of moves is clear - Croatia first filed a lawsuit against Serbia and should be the first to withdraw it, Serbian FM Ivan Mrkic has said. He explained that "this had been agreed on" in all his meetings with his Croatian colleague Vesna Pusic - "in other words, to perform consecutive withdrawal." FM: Croatia must withdraw lawsuit first Mrkic spoke for the Belgrade-based daily Danas to comment on the genocide lawsuits the two countries had filed against one another, and reports in the Croatian media that Zagreb will not withdraw its lawsuit. According to the foreign minister, the time of lawsuits and counter-suits "should be left behind us." Asked to comment on the plan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro for the establishment of the so-called Western Balkans Six, Mrkic said that the Serbian side, when he first heard about the initiative, noted that it was open for any kind of gathering that brings together countries in the region and strengthens their cooperation. He confirmed that there was discussion recently in New York about the initiative, "the Western Balkans Six Plus Two", and that Montenegrin FM Igor Luksic and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule "explained the essence." Mrkic said that the reactions of the colleagues present were "not enthusiastic - because of the perception that it would duplicate existing initiatives." The Serbian foreign minister then said that "everything that can come to life and leads to the strengthening of regional cooperation and speeding up on the road to the EU, is thought about positively by Serbia, it is open and willing to support it." According to Mrkic, since he took over the ministry introduced austerity measures and even set up a special working group in order to determine where and how resources can be spent "as rationally as possible." (Beta, file) Danas Tanjug

FM: Croatia must withdraw lawsuit first

Mrkić spoke for the Belgrade-based daily Danas to comment on the genocide lawsuits the two countries had filed against one another, and reports in the Croatian media that Zagreb will not withdraw its lawsuit.

According to the foreign minister, the time of lawsuits and counter-suits "should be left behind us."

Asked to comment on the plan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro for the establishment of the so-called Western Balkans Six, Mrkić said that the Serbian side, when he first heard about the initiative, noted that it was open for any kind of gathering that brings together countries in the region and strengthens their cooperation.

He confirmed that there was discussion recently in New York about the initiative, "the Western Balkans Six Plus Two", and that Montenegrin FM Igor Lukšić and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule "explained the essence."

Mrkić said that the reactions of the colleagues present were "not enthusiastic - because of the perception that it would duplicate existing initiatives."

The Serbian foreign minister then said that "everything that can come to life and leads to the strengthening of regional cooperation and speeding up on the road to the EU, is thought about positively by Serbia, it is open and willing to support it."

According to Mrkić, since he took over the ministry introduced austerity measures and even set up a special working group in order to determine where and how resources can be spent "as rationally as possible."