ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said on Saturday he was optimistic regarding the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and problems with the Bosnian Croat self-rule as well as that his optimism was
encouraged by the Croatian parliamentary debate on the problem and stands of the international community on the situation in the neighbouring country. "I am optimistic and encouraged in my belief by developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina, by the debate in the Croatian Sabor and the views of the international community on the current state of affairs in Bosnia-Herzegovina," Picula said in an interview with Croatian Television last night. Picula believes a significant part of Bosnian Croat politicians are aware that any hasty decision aimed at making major changes to the position of BH Croats would not strengthen their position but weaken their prospect of playing an equal role in the b
ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula
said on Saturday he was optimistic regarding the situation in
Bosnia-Herzegovina and problems with the Bosnian Croat self-rule
as well as that his optimism was encouraged by the Croatian
parliamentary debate on the problem and stands of the international
community on the situation in the neighbouring country.
"I am optimistic and encouraged in my belief by developments in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, by the debate in the Croatian Sabor and the
views of the international community on the current state of
affairs in Bosnia-Herzegovina," Picula said in an interview with
Croatian Television last night.
Picula believes a significant part of Bosnian Croat politicians are
aware that any hasty decision aimed at making major changes to the
position of BH Croats would not strengthen their position but
weaken their prospect of playing an equal role in the building of
Bosnia-Herzegovina as a country of three constituent peoples.
Picula advocates the resolution of the situation through dialogue
and believes Croatia must have a clearly defined role in that
process as the country which has the longest land border with Bosnia
but is also keenly interested in making the situation there as
stable as possible for the sake of BH citizens but also for the sake
of facilitating its own Euro-Atlantic integration.
Speaking about concrete measures Croatia would take with the aim of
stabilising the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Picula
reiterated the government had no intention of being a political
patron to any side in Bosnia-Herzegovina but wanted partnership and
fruitful communication.
The Croatian government wants to develop relations with Bosnia-
Herzegovina as an integral state because it believes that "special
relations between neighbouring states and parts of Bosnia-
Herzegovina can hardly contribute to the country's internal
integration."
The foreign minister believes the existing instruments of the
Dayton agreement, which according to some estimates are
inadequate, are sufficient for successfully tackling serious
topics in the country.
Asked about cantonisation proposals, Picula said such proposals
were not the government's official stand.
"At the moment, the idea of cantonisation would not have enough
support in the international community as the basis for the
reconstruction of relations in the country," Picula said, adding
press headlines saying the Croatian government had forwarded some
documents on cantonisation to international representatives were
speculation.
(hina) rml