BELGRADE, Nov 19 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told Belgrade's news agency Beta broadcast on Monday that Croatia was in the phase of expecting possible changes in the Serbian government, and in the mean time,
"working temperature" was being maintained through occasional meetings of the two countries' representatives.
BELGRADE, Nov 19 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula
told Belgrade's news agency Beta broadcast on Monday that Croatia
was in the phase of expecting possible changes in the Serbian
government, and in the mean time, "working temperature" was being
maintained through occasional meetings of the two countries'
representatives. #L#
"Croatia cannot cooperate normally with such a Serbian government
in which senior official Momcilo Perisic, who the Croatian
judiciary has convicted of war crimes, is sitting," Picula said.
Asked about reactions from the Serb side to such a stance, Picula
said he did not know whether the requests would be granted and added
"it is up to the colleagues in Belgrade to assess how important it is
to them to develop relations with Zagreb".
The minister believes that a move made by the Serbian government to
that effect would "cool down tensions" and confirm that Belgrade
"has truly severed ties with the negative Milosevic past".
"The extradition of (former Yugoslav president Slobodan) Milosevic
to The Hague (international war crimes tribunal) is a positive and
courageous move which we applaud, but is insufficient, and we
expect other culprits for the tragedies to end up where they belong
-- before the tribunal," Picula asserted.
He stressed that because of all "Milosevic's wrongdoing" the
relations between the two countries are burdened by problems no
other countries have.
"The degree in which Croatia and Yugoslavia will be ridding
themselves of the remainder of the past times will be the degree in
relations both democratic countries want," the Croatian foreign
minister said.
"We are not evading improved relations, but we are requesting that
some preconditions are met to make this possible. One must have
stable partners on the other side to have stable relations," he
said.
Continuing the interview, Picula said the two countries should sign
several agreements to facilitate the transit of people and goods,
an agreement on free trade, avoiding double taxation and social
insurance, and some 20 other agreements.
At the end of the interview, Picula pointed out the importance of
the visit of Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic to Zagreb
by which he would "confirm that we are on a good path to solve
problems troubling us".
(hina) lml sb