ZAGREB, Jan 11 (Hina) - During a meeting with the head of the Montenegrin Office in Zagreb, Jusuf Fetahovic, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said Croatia was surprised with the statements of Montenegrin officials that U.N. observers
had to stay on Prevlaka, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday. Picula said Croatia still wanted to develop its partnership with Montenegro and expected the Montenegrin authorities to cooperate, particularly regarding the solution of the Prevlaka issue, the statement read. "Croatia expected Montenegro to confirm its stands from 2000 that Prevlaka is not a territorial issue. That is why the latest statements of Montenegrin officials that U.N. observers should stay on Prevlaka came as a surprise and met with harsh protests on the local level," the statement reads. "Croatia believes this will be the last UNMOP (U.N. Mission of Observers on Pre
ZAGREB, Jan 11 (Hina) - During a meeting with the head of the
Montenegrin Office in Zagreb, Jusuf Fetahovic, Foreign Minister
Tonino Picula said Croatia was surprised with the statements of
Montenegrin officials that U.N. observers had to stay on Prevlaka,
the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Picula said Croatia still wanted to develop its partnership with
Montenegro and expected the Montenegrin authorities to cooperate,
particularly regarding the solution of the Prevlaka issue, the
statement read.
"Croatia expected Montenegro to confirm its stands from 2000 that
Prevlaka is not a territorial issue. That is why the latest
statements of Montenegrin officials that U.N. observers should
stay on Prevlaka came as a surprise and met with harsh protests on
the local level," the statement reads.
"Croatia believes this will be the last UNMOP (U.N. Mission of
Observers on Prevlaka) mandate because there is no reason any more
for U.N. observers to stay in that part of Croatian territory now
that democratic changes have taken place and Croatia and the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) have started building good
neighbourly relations."
"Montenegro could help in that process with its constructive
attitude, regardless of further developments in the FRY," the
statement read.
According to the statement, Fetahovic said the Montenegrin
authorities shared this opinion and were interested in seeing the
U.N. observers leave Prevlaka as soon as possible, because their
presence was causing damage to tourism.
He stressed that Montenegro did not consider Prevlaka a territorial
or security issue either.
According to Fetahovic, Foreign Minister Branko Lukovac's
statement should not be interpreted literally, because Lukovac
said he did not oppose the extension of the UNMOP mandate, but he
also stressed the problem could be solved without the U.N.
mediation.
Fetahovic is quoted in the statement as saying that "Montenegro has
not changed its stand on Prevlaka."
The Montenegrin Office in Zagreb was opened in June 2001, but its
status has not as yet been entirely regulated.
"The Croatian Foreign Ministry will therefore propose that the
Croatian government approve the start of operation of the Office
because it is in Croatia's interest to promote economic and other
forms of cooperation with Montenegro through the Office," the
statement read.
Fetahovic is confident Croatia could be much more present in
Montenegro, particularly in the privatisation of hotel complexes.
He also urged the solution of the problem of the property of
Croatian companies in Montenegro and Montenegrin companies'
property in Croatia.
(hina) it sb