"It is very important for the whole of Southeast Europe that relations between Croatia and Serbia develop according to the highest democratic standards, so the first meeting between the President of the Croatian Sabor and the President of the Serbian National Assembly is a good start for establishing parliamentary relations between the two countries," Seks told reporters.
"Relations between Croatia and Serbia are crucial for the future of this part of Europe, just as they have been in the past," he added.
Seks said that he and Dulic had discussed numerous aspects of relations between the two countries, but focused on the question of how the two parliaments could help both countries on their paths to membership of the European Union and NATO.
Seks reiterated that Croatia was supporting Serbia in its efforts to join Euro-Atlantic institutions as soon as possible, adding that he was looking forward to meetings between committee chairmen of the two parliaments.
Dulic said he was pleased with the meeting and added that it focused on several initiatives that were supposed to contribute to the promotion of parliamentary cooperation between Serbia and Croatia.
The two officials exchanges views on the initiative that the Central Europe Free Trade Agreement should be given a parliamentary dimension so as to ensure stronger economic development of the region and its progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration. Dulic said that it would also help "build the foundations of new relations that have to be established within the region."
"Those relations would not be based on any models from the past, but on a rational approach to the goal of meeting the economic interests of our respective countries and protecting the national minorities living in them," Dulic said.
Dulic said that a Serbian parliamentary delegation would visit Croatia to discuss details of what was tentatively agreed during the brief meeting with Seks.