BELGRADE, Sept 10 (Hina) - The President of Serbia and Montenegro, Svetozar Marovic, on Wednesday apologised for "all evils that any citizen of Serbia and Montenegro caused to anyone in Croatia".
BELGRADE, Sept 10 (Hina) - The President of Serbia and Montenegro,
Svetozar Marovic, on Wednesday apologised for "all evils that any
citizen of Serbia and Montenegro caused to anyone in Croatia". #L#
Marovic made the apology at a news conference following talks with
his Croatian counterpart Stjepan Mesic, who is on an official visit
to Serbia and Montenegro.
This is the first official visit of a Croatian president to Serbia
and Montenegro since the break-up of the former Yugoslav
federation.
"As president of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro (...) I
would like to apologise for all evils caused by any citizen of
Serbia and Montenegro to anyone in Croatia," Marovic said.
"I do not think that the peoples are guilty or that they should
apologise," he added.
"But anyone who is individually guilty must be brought to justice.
One of our biggest commitments is cooperation with the Hague (war
crimes tribunal)," Marovic said.
The Croatian president said he accepted this "symbolic apology".
"On my part, I would like to offer an apology to anyone to whom
citizens of Croatia, at any time, caused pain or damage acting
contrary to the law and abusing their position," Mesic said.
The two presidents said Mesic's visit to Belgrade was "an important
event" which should encourage an accelerated solving of open issues
that burden the two countries' relations.
They stressed the visit sent a clear message to the citizens of both
countries, the countries of the region and the European Union.
"There is no doubt that there are open issues. They were not solved
today, but both sides are aware that without solving it accelerated
development of our relations is impossible," Mesic said.
"Good-neighbourly and friendly relations will bring both countries
closer to European associations, as well as progress in economic,
political and overall life of our citizens," Marovic said.
""With this meeting we want to confirm that we do not choose to live
in the past," the president of Serbia an Montenegro said.
Mesic and Marovic also talked about the liberalisation of the visa
regime and the solving of the border issue and cross-border
cooperation.
"We must solve the border issue at negotiations and with
agreements, but I believe that until the final solution to the
border issue is reached we must ensure a liberal border regime to
our citizens," Mesic said.
Speaking of relations with neighbouring countries, the Croatian
president said the authorities in Zagreb and Belgrade should send
the same messages to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"Those messages are: the capital of Bosnian Croats, Serbs and
Muslims is Sarajevo and that the three peoples are the bridge of
cooperation towards Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro," Mesic
said.
Both presidents advocated the strengthening of the two countries'
economic cooperation.
During his one-day visit to Belgrade, Mesic should meet the Serbia
and Montenegro parliament president, Dragoljub Micunovic, acting
president of Serbia Natasa Micic, Serbian Prime Minister Zoran
Zivkovic, representatives of Croats living in Serbia and
Montenegro and representatives of associations advocating the
return of Serbs to Croatia.
(hina) it