BELGRADE, Dec 16 (Hina) - The new Croatian government will advocate full normalisation of relations with Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as there will be no united Europe without those countries, said Ivo Sanader, Croatia's
Premier-Designate, in an interview he granted to the Belgrade-based Dnevnik daily of Wednesday.
BELGRADE, Dec 16 (Hina) - The new Croatian government will advocate
full normalisation of relations with Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-
Herzegovina, as there will be no united Europe without those
countries, said Ivo Sanader, Croatia's Premier-Designate, in an
interview he granted to the Belgrade-based Dnevnik daily of
Wednesday. #L#
"We shall ask the Serbian government to support Croatia's entry
into the European Union soon, as I am sure the sooner Croatia enters
the EU, the sooner Serbia will too" Sanader said, adding that
Croatia should not be left to wait for Serbia and Bosnia to meet EU
membership criteria.
Asked how important was the exchange of apologies which the two
presidents -- Croatia's Stjepan Mesic and Serbia-Montenegro's
Svetozar Marovic -- had extended, the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) leader said "with or without it, the normalisation of
Croatian-Serbian relations has no alternative".
"I think it is more important to do something for citizens in both
countries. Action speaks louder than words," Sanader added.
Asked whether he intended to visit Belgrade, the Croatian premier-
designate answered in the affirmative, adding that this would be
done when conditions were met, as "normalisation of ties implies
the return visits of premiers".
Emphasising that people in Croatia and probably in Serbia were too
preoccupied with the past, Sanader said one should not let "oneself
be prisoners of the past and waste valuable time on the same
discussions".
He cited the aggression on the country and the war as the main
reasons for Croatia's lagging behind some EU candidates which enter
the Union in 2004.
"Better standard for citizens, and admission into the EU and NATO
are our priorities and our future," he said.
Commenting on the HDZ, Sanader said he did not find it difficult "to
bear the legacy of Franjo Tudjman, under whose leadership Croatia
fulfilled its major political objectives".
"Today, the HDZ is proud of what it did in the first ten years of
Croatia's independence. We are also aware of mistakes and
omissions. We have corrected them and today the HDZ is a centre-
right party in the family of European popular parties, the
strongest bloc in the European Parliament," he added.
Commenting on his call on ethnic Serb refugees to return to Croatia,
he said practice would show that he was sincere when he urged them to
come back.
In addition, he said he offered to Serb representatives a
ministerial post, as he would like to see one representative of
ethnic minorities in his Cabinet.
"It is no secret that I would like to see (Milorad) Pupovac in the
government, but this possibility is currently dismissed, although
we are discussing the cooperation in parliament," Sanader said.
The new government will place entry into the EU, NATO and the
settlement of open issues with neighbours high on its agenda.
Speaking about cooperation with the Hague-based Tribunal, Sanader
commented on the case of the runaway General Ante Gotovina.
"For us it is incorrect and unacceptable to claim that the ethnic
cleansing of Serbs was conducted during (the 1995) Operation Storm.
That was a legitimate liberating operation, as Croatia was
occupied, and credit for our freedom goes to those who liberated
Croatia, namely commanders and soldiers. As regards the indictment
against a commander in Operation Storm, Gen. Gotovina, we, i.e. the
HDZ which has been the opposition so far, don't know what was going
on behind the scenes," Sanader said.
He added that Gen. Gotovina, in an interview he gave to the Nacional
weekly, made some claims and voiced readiness to face the
tribunal.
As soon as the government holds its founding session, it will
establish contacts with the tribunal and Gotovina's lawyers as well
as President Stjepan Mesic, Sanader added.
Commenting on the issue of the border on the Danube river, he said
"the situation became unnecessarily complicated", and added that
he respected the conclusions of the Badinter Commission that
established that the borders of former republics, which were part
of the Socialist Yugoslav Federation, should be treated as
internationally recognised borders of the state which won
independence.
(hina) ms