"This is a historic event that will certainly contribute to improving the political and psychological environment and strengthening the feeling of security within the Croatian minority in Serbia," the head of the Croatian National Council of Serbia and Montenegro, Josip Ivanovic, told reporters after meeting Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader in Belgrade.
Ivanovic said that the agreement would help in the implementation of the National Minorities Act in areas such as the media, education and culture of the Croatian national minority.
The recent establishment of the National Minorities Council by the Serbian government was a special gesture by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who announced that representatives of the Croatian and other minorities would participate in the preparation of the future Constitution, Ivanovic said.
Petar Kuntic, leader of the Croatian Democratic League of Vojvodina, also stressed the importance of the agreement, which was signed by Croatian Justice Minister Vesna Skare Ozbolt and Serbian Human and Minority Rights Minister Rasim Ljajic.
"Every meeting of representatives of the two countries, particularly high-level meetings such as this one, helps improve the living conditions of the Croats in Vojvodina," Kuntic said.
Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader arrived in Belgrade on Monday for his first official visit. Earlier in the day he met the President of the Union of Serbia and Montenegro, Svetozar Marovic, and later today he is due to meet his Serbian counterpart Vojislav Kostunica and the Archbishop of Belgrade, Stanislav Hocevar.