BELGRADE, March 23 (hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic said in an interview to Belgrade newspaper "Blic" he advocated cooperation between Croatia and Yugoslavia in all possible fields.
BELGRADE, March 23 (hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic said in
an interview to Belgrade newspaper "Blic" he advocated cooperation
between Croatia and Yugoslavia in all possible fields.#L#
Mesic said in an interview published on Saturday that the two
countries would overcome the problems in their relations if they
establish cooperation.
"Considering the war, there are issues which represent obstacles in
cooperation. But the more we cooperate the faster we will overcome
the difficulties," the Croatian president said.
Mesic said he advocated the liberalisation of visa regime. He said
this would enable better communication between the two countries'
businessmen. "I believe it is time for this to be done," Mesic
said.
The Croatian president also commented on critiques of his interview
to the Novi Sad television in which he called on Serbs to return to
the homeland.
"I believe that my critics either misunderstood or deliberately
misunderstood what I have said. Isn't it logical that I, as the head
of state, call on Croatian citizens to return in full safety, to
exercise their rights and to repossess their property," Mesic
asked. "I don't have to always repeat that other presidents of the
former Yugoslav countries are expected to forward invitations to
their citizens, because this goes without saying. However, it looks
that some of my critics want to label me as a non-patriot because of
this," the Croatian president said.
"The problems of tenancy rights will also have to be solved if we
want Croatia to be accepted as a democratic country," Mesic said.
Asked to comment recent evictions of Croats from Bosnia's Drvar,
Mesic said that probably everybody knows that Drvar had been
systematically populated by Croats, after Serb left it during the
war in 1995.
"I believe that Croatian media are blowing this thing out of
proportion without considering the fact that a person cannot stay
in another person's house," Mesic said in the interview.
Mesic said he did not expect any serious problem in cooperation
between Croatia and the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia, regardless of the newest petition in the
Gotovina case. Croatia must implement its laws, no matter who
signed the petitions, the Croatian president said.
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