CAVTAT, Dec 4 (Hina) - One should not fear that the results of the parliamentary elections in Croatia and Serbia-Montenegro will jeopardise the two countries' cooperation and their path to the EU, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and
his counterpart from Serbia and Montenegro Svetozar Marovic said in the southern Adriatic town of Cavtat on Thursday.
CAVTAT, Dec 4 (Hina) - One should not fear that the results of the
parliamentary elections in Croatia and Serbia-Montenegro will
jeopardise the two countries' cooperation and their path to the EU,
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and his counterpart from Serbia
and Montenegro Svetozar Marovic said in the southern Adriatic town
of Cavtat on Thursday. #L#
The two presidents held separate news conferences on the margins of
the first regional economic forum of Southeast Europe, which is
being held in Cavtat on December 4 and 5.
"Every government that takes into account the interests of its
citizens must promote regional cooperation. I am confident that the
new Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) government will do the same,"
said Mesic.
He said one should not fear that Croatia would drift apart from
Europe. "During the election campaign all parties advocated
Croatia's joining the EU. I expect the process to be accelerated,"
Mesic said.
Asked whether the HDZ victory in Croatia and the success of radicals
at presidential elections in Serbia meant the return of the right to
power in the Balkan countries, Mesic said he was not concerned.
"More than one election is necessary to acquire democratic
standards. Small changes should not worry anyone, what matters is
the European orientation," Mesic said.
Marovic agreed with Mesic and added that he had no doubts that the
new HDZ rule would follow in the footsteps of the former government
and continue to cooperate with Croatia's eastern neighbour.
Marovic said that the December 28 parliamentary election in Serbia
would neither jeopardise the country's path nor the relations
within Serbia and Montenegro. He, however, warned that new ICTY
indictments would result in the radical right growing stronger
ahead of the election, given that such forces were against any form
of cooperation with the Hague-based war crimes tribunal.
Marovic said that in spite of domestic criticism and criticism from
Republika Srpska he would again do the same and apologise for crimes
which citizens from Serbia-Montenegro committed in Croatia and
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"I don't know who committed a particular crime, but I know that
somebody killed someone in Srebrenica, which causes pain" Marovic
said.
He said that processing individuals for crimes was the best way for
solving the issue of the collective guilt.
(hina) it sb