BELGRADE, April 9 (Hina) - It is important that ambitions to create huge states - greater Serbia, greater Albania or greater Croatia - finally disappeared because it's time for a normal Serbia, Albania and Croatia that will develop
according to European standards, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on Wednesday in an interview for Belgrade's B92 Television.
BELGRADE, April 9 (Hina) - It is important that ambitions to create
huge states - greater Serbia, greater Albania or greater Croatia -
finally disappeared because it's time for a normal Serbia, Albania
and Croatia that will develop according to European standards,
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said on Wednesday in an interview
for Belgrade's B92 Television. #L#
Mesic was an observer at a Summit of the presidents and premiers of
the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEEPC) held in
Belgrade.
Premier Zoran Djindjic was killed in Serbia and Croatia's and
Serbia's mafia - as is the case anywhere in the world - are
connected. The problem though is when the criminal world connects
with government institutions, Mesic said.
"It is certain that Djindjic's assassins were not only interested
in removing Djindjic because he was inclined towards Europe, but to
cause a complete turnabout in Serbia which was heading towards
Europe. I'm sure the same thing exists in Croatia too and I also
received a message that I, along with Premier Ivica Racan and Josip
Manolic, should meet with Djindjic for breakfast and it is not worth
to even mention the name of the person who said this to me. What is
important is who is behind it all. Here too, it is not the most
important thing to find the executor (...) The important thing is to
find who is behind it all. Who inspired the perpetrator to pull the
trigger," Mesic said.
He pointed out that a greater awareness existed in Croatia that
perpetrators of crimes must be brought to justice.
Croatia, which instigated the establishment of the Hague Tribunal,
favours the individualisation of guilt, Mesic said. As soon as that
process is brought to an end it will be possible to establish co-
operation at all levels and achieve full normalisation of
relations, he said.
"If the EU is everyone's objective then the aim of open borders
towards Europe and towards one's neighbours is also an aim. Now it's
possible to see how absurd the war was because the borders did not
change in the end," Mesic said. He reiterated that national
minorities should be a link for inter-state and neighbourly
relations.
He added that during bilateral meetings with Serbia and
Montenegro's President Svetozar Marovic he reiterated his idea of a
tripartite agreement between Croatia, Serbia-Montenegro and
Bosnia-Herzegovina to accelerate the return of refugees regardless
of their nationality or country from which they were compelled to
flee.
When speaking about the liberalisation of the visa regime, the
barriers are not that great, he said. Countries signatories have to
ratify agreements on the re-admission.
That agreement between Croatia and Serbia-Montenegro has not yet
been ratified. Once it is, there should not be any reason not to set
up a liberal visa regime, Mesic said in the interview for TV B92.
(Hina) sp it