ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - Croatia on Tuesday signed agreements with Serbia and Montenegro on the regulation of rights and payment of pensions and other welfare benefits to beneficiaries who have permanent residence in one country and
acquired rights in the other.
ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - Croatia on Tuesday signed agreements with
Serbia and Montenegro on the regulation of rights and payment of
pensions and other welfare benefits to beneficiaries who have
permanent residence in one country and acquired rights in the
other. #L#
Tuesday's signing wrapped up negotiations which began in 1997
between Croatia and the then Yugoslav federation after the two
countries concluded an agreement on social insurance.
With the relevant agreements coming into force, Croatia will have
regulated relations with all the countries in the area of the former
Yugoslavia (SFRY) regarding social insurance. Moreover, such
relations have never been discontinued with Macedonia and
Slovenia.
The deal with Belgrade will cover some 40,000 pensioners and
members of their families.
Under a 1992 decree of the Croatian government and later in line
with a law on the payment of pensions to beneficiaries who earned
pensions in other republics of the former SFRY, Zagreb took over the
care for 4,685 retirees who earned pensions in Serbia and
Montenegro.
The then federal Yugoslavia took over the care for 3,983 pensioners
who had earned pensions in Croatia but were living in the then
Yugoslavia.
In addition, there are some 15,000 persons who have retired after 8
October 1991 in Croatia when the state and legal links with the
former SFRY were severed, and approximately the same number is in
Serbia.
So far, those persons have received pensions from funds of states
where they have place of residence, but with the treaties'
implementation, their pensions should be re-calculated.
(hina) ms sb