ZAGREB, March 6 (Hina) - Summarising headway made in the bilateral relations in 2002, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and his counterpart from Serbia and Montenegro, Goran Svilanovic, agreed that further cooperation was one of
the paths towards the accomplishment of goals of citizens in the two countries.
ZAGREB, March 6 (Hina) - Summarising headway made in the bilateral
relations in 2002, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and his
counterpart from Serbia and Montenegro, Goran Svilanovic, agreed
that further cooperation was one of the paths towards the
accomplishment of goals of citizens in the two countries. #L#
Svilanovic arrived in Zagreb on Thursday within his tour to
Southeast European countries ahead of a conference of member-
states of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP)
scheduled for 8 April in Belgrade.
The bilateral relations are marked by the continued advancement,
Picula told reporters after his meeting with Svilanovic.
He added that the two neighbours had contributed to the improvement
of the general political state of affairs, when they regulated some
important and delicate inter-state fields with high-quality
treaties.
In April 2002, Zagreb and Belgrade signed a protocol on principles
for the demarcation of border-lines, an agreement on re-admission
and a treaty on cultural cooperation. They also reached an
agreement on free trade and in December last year they concluded a
protocol on the peninsula of Prevlaka, making it possible for UN
observers to wrap up their mission and for Croatia to re-establish
its sovereignty over this southern peninsula.
"I believe that Croatia has its place in the European Union, as I
believe that my country has too," Svilanovic said applauding the
recent Croatian application for the EU membership.
After he notified his host about the ongoing process of the
establishment of a new state union of Serbia and Montenegro,
Svilanovic said citizens of his country were treating the new
community as "a European framework for the future of citizens of
both Serbia and Montenegro".
Svilanovic also informed Picula about the results of one-year-long
presidency of Belgrade over the SEECP which includes Albania,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia and
Montenegro while Croatia has the status of an observer.
At the press conference, Svilanovic cited the regulation of
property issues between the two countries, an agreement on social
insurance, the issue of succession and the settlement of property
rights in the area of Sarengrad as priorities to be solved during
this year.
He added that Belgrade would like to see the annulment of the visa
regime, as this is, he said, in the interest of citizens of both
countries.
Belgrade welcomes Sabor's adoption of a constitutional law on
ethnic minorities' rights, he added.
(hina) ms sb