ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - President Stjepan Mesic held a speech at a special parliamentary session on Tuesday on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition.
ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - President Stjepan Mesic held a speech at a
special parliamentary session on Tuesday on the occasion of the
10th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition. #L#
Mesic recalled Croatia's long and turbulent history and commended
the former government for having recognised the factors which had
made it possible for Croatia to declare independence from
Yugoslavia and become recognised by the international community
ten years ago.
He also recalled some moves of the then government, which he said
"objectively encouraged (the former Yugoslav president) Slobodan
Milosevic's Greater Serbian ambitions." Mesic stressed the need to
face the truth about the failures and mistakes of the past period.
Ten years ago Croatia waged war on two fields, the military and the
political, Mesic said, adding the country's international
recognition had been hampered by its policy at the time.
The world "was not sure what kind of country Croatia was, if the
excesses - to use the least serious word - the world already knew
about and which we are painfully facing only now, were only excesses
or indicators of a systematic policy," Mesic said.
The forces which respected the right of every nation to self-
determination and the fact that Croatia was exposed to a brutal war
and destruction helped the EU come to a decision to recognise
Croatia as an independent state, Mesic said. "That decision
irretrievably placed Croatia on the international scene. Ten years
ago, Croatia was recognised but it was not accepted. There was a
long way from recognition to acceptance we had to cover," Mesic
said.
"Due to a policy which did not adequately take care of human rights,
which interpreted democracy in a very original, actually
unacceptable manner, which openly showed aspirations towards parts
of the neighbouring, internationally recognised country, Croatia
was again and again treated as a suspect and subjected to
international pressures. Its presence on the international scene
was reduced exclusively to the context of a search for a solution to
the situation in the region and we were also exposed to the threat of
international sanctions," Mesic said, adding the past should be
remembered so that mistakes would not repeat.
Speaking about the government which was elected two years ago and
the problems it faced, Mesic said the Croatian public did not fully
understand the state the country was in when it was taken over by the
incumbent government. Due to internal problems, first
accomplishments were possible in the field of foreign affairs,
Mesic said. He also reminded that in a short period of time Croatia
had joined Partnership for Peace and the World Trade Organisation,
and signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU.
"Today, ten years later, we can really say that Croatia is not only
recognised but accepted all over the world," Mesic said.
He also enumerated tasks in the field of foreign policy: adjustment
to European standards, so that the country could apply for
membership in the European Union; the reorganisation and de-
politicising of the armed forces, so that Croatia could apply for
NATO membership; full normalisation of relations with all
neighbours, so that it could realise its economic ambitions as well
as take on its share of responsibility for the final stabilisation
of the region.
As regards the internal policy and economy, Mesic stressed there
was no alternative to further strengthening of democracy and
foundations of the civil society and the stimulation of the
production and the creation of new jobs. He advocated "a national
consensus on important reference points of Croatia's path."
"I simply bear in mind the fact that all those who care about a
democratic, civilised, European, law-based Croatia, must be in
agreement when it comes to some key values, reference points of our
state policy, some fundamental commitments. If we have agreed about
that, then there must not be any doubts about it," Mesic said.
"Divisions about these issues can only be a matter of the past, by no
means the present, let alone the future. This must be understood by
those who are encouraging these divisions nowadays, trying to earn
cheap and short-term political points. They want to divide us on the
issue of Europe or isolation, democracy or pseudo-democracy, civil
society or feverish chauvinism, which sometimes turns into an open
flirtation with fascism. We have to clearly and loudly say to them
their victory would mean turning Croatia's past into its future,"
Mesic stressed.
"Somebody may say: marking the 10th anniversary of Croatia's
international recognition, one should have spoken about what the
world, due to its undeniable omissions in the past, owes to
Croatia's future. However, on this day, we should tell the world, to
which we belong and whose cooperation and assistance we rightfully
count on, as well as the entire Croatian public, that we are aware of
the path we have come from and know which path we have to continue
on," Mesic concluded.
(hina) np sb