SARAJEVO, July 15 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said in Sarajevo on Monday that Croatia wanted to promote cooperation with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yugoslavia, but added that it was necessary for all three countries to first
adopt laws on minorities and the liberalisation of visa regimes.
SARAJEVO, July 15 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said in
Sarajevo on Monday that Croatia wanted to promote cooperation with
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yugoslavia, but added that it was necessary
for all three countries to first adopt laws on minorities and the
liberalisation of visa regimes. #L#
Mesic said this after the three countries' leaders signed a joint
declaration.
Speaking about relations between Croatia and Bosnia, Mesic said
that Croats in Bosnia were not a minority but a constituent people,
which created room for a better cooperation between the two
countries.
Croatia's head of state said all illusions about creating a Greater
Serbia or a Greater Croatia to the detriment of Bosnia should be
abandoned.
Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica sent a clear message that
Bosnia was an internationally recognised country. He said the
signatories to the joint declaration would call on all refugees
from Bosnia to attend the autumn elections. Kostunica said this
would be proof that all refugees were loyal to Bosnia regardless of
their current place of residence.
The chairman of the Bosnian Presidency, Beriz Belkic, said it was
decided that the agreements on the port of Ploce and dual
citizenship be regulated according to European standards. He said
that the Bosnian state officials requested of the state leadership
of Croatia and Yugoslavia to oppose all ideas advocating the
division of Bosnia's military, intelligence, education, and
economic institutions. Belkic said that the leaderships of Croatia
and Yugoslavia promised not to support the division of institutions
in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
(hina) it sb