ZAGREB, June 23 (Hina) - The pope's visit to Banja Luka is doubly significant -- in the light of his messages of ecumenism and tolerance and providing a chance for local refugees to visit their homes, Croatian President Sjepan Mesic
said Monday in reply to reporters' questions after presenting medals on the occasion of Statehood Day.
ZAGREB, June 23 (Hina) - The pope's visit to Banja Luka is doubly
significant -- in the light of his messages of ecumenism and
tolerance and providing a chance for local refugees to visit their
homes, Croatian President Sjepan Mesic said Monday in reply to
reporters' questions after presenting medals on the occasion of
Statehood Day. #L#
"The most important for me are the pope's messages which are in the
function of ecumenism and tolerance, facing problems which need
solving and turning toward the future," Mesic said.
The second important fact is that many refugees had the opportunity
to personally visit their hometowns and see if the local government
is interested in seeing their citizens return, as Croatia is, the
president said.
Croatia affirms the maturity of its democracy and rule of law, Mesic
stressed.
"We are interested in seeing our citizens return. The institutions
of Bosnia-Herzegovina must do the same. There have been many
messages from Republika Srpska saying it is not good for refugees to
return. In this sense, the pope's visit is a message that those
refugees belong in their homeland," Mesic said.
(hina) lml sb