ZAGREB, Dec 14 (Hina) - Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic in Zagreb on Friday expressed deep regret about the suffering of Croatian citizens and the citizens of his country over the past several years, saying the motive for
the crimes was the fear of Serbs from Croatia and elsewhere, and that politicians were responsible because they used the fear for their goals. Svilanovic gave this statement to reporters after talks with Croatian counterpart Tonino Picula, by which the Yugoslav foreign minister began his official visit to Croatia. Svilanovic will also hold talks with Croatian top political officials. "I want to share the feeling of deep regret for the suffering of Croatian citizens, both Croatians and Serbs, as well as Yugoslav citizens over the past several years," Svilanovic said. "Politicians are the most responsible for the suffering of young men and women who are scattered throughout
ZAGREB, Dec 14 (Hina) - Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic
in Zagreb on Friday expressed deep regret about the suffering of
Croatian citizens and the citizens of his country over the past
several years, saying the motive for the crimes was the fear of
Serbs from Croatia and elsewhere, and that politicians were
responsible because they used the fear for their goals.
Svilanovic gave this statement to reporters after talks with
Croatian counterpart Tonino Picula, by which the Yugoslav foreign
minister began his official visit to Croatia. Svilanovic will also
hold talks with Croatian top political officials.
"I want to share the feeling of deep regret for the suffering of
Croatian citizens, both Croatians and Serbs, as well as Yugoslav
citizens over the past several years," Svilanovic said.
"Politicians are the most responsible for the suffering of young
men and women who are scattered throughout Croatia and it is
impossible not to empathise with the sorrow of their dearest,"
Svilanovic said.
He said the fear of Serbs from Croatia and other parts of the former
Yugoslavia was the cause of the crimes.
"I would like to express understanding for Serbs from Croatia and
other parts of the former Yugoslavia because fear is what makes
people commit the gravest crimes," the Yugoslav official
stressed.
Svilanovic said he was aware that toponyms such as Vukovar and some
other places would remain deep in the hearts of all Croats, and
added it was up to historians to establish why it happened and
politicians to make a step towards reconciliation, which, he
assessed, would take years.
Serbs and Montenegrins, Svilanovic said, love their country and
take pride in it, just like Croats take pride in Croatia, and they
are sad because of politicians "who used their fears and committed
crimes."
Justice is a necessary step on the path towards reconciliation and
one cannot avoid it, Svilanovic said, adding Yugoslavia was ready
to fully cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and to prosecute criminals before
domestic courts.
He did not, however, want to directly say whether the Yugoslav
government would extradite the so-called "Vukovar Three" to the
Hague-based tribunal, only expressing belief the Yugoslav
government "made crucial steps last year" and that it was ready to
continue to cooperate with the UN war crimes tribunal.
Minister Svilanovic invited his Croatian counterpart Picula to
travel to Sarajevo together because, he stressed, "the toponyms of
our joint suffering do not end within the borders of our
countries."
They should hold talks with Bosnian Foreign Minister Zlatko
Lagumdzija on the Bosnian victims. According to Svilanovic, these
talks should send a message of encouragement that crimes must be
punished, after which reconciliation is possible.
Picula praised his talks with the Yugoslav counterpart and added
they addressed almost all open issues between the two countries.
After the talks, the two ministers signed an agreement on avoiding
double taxation and a protocol on cooperation between the two
foreign ministries. Picula said they even went a step further in
series of areas which still have to be regulated by agreements.
These include an agreement regulating the position of national
minorities which, despite Croatia's long-standing insistence, the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia consented to start negotiating only
several month ago, as well as a border agreement. Officials today
exchanged notes on the members of a joint border commission, which
has thus been formally set up.
The two countries will accelerate negotiations on the return of
refugees, free trade, the liberalisation of the visa regime and the
improvement of transport communications. Svilanovic said an
agreement on re-admission and the joint struggle against organised
crime would be signed in January.
"The developed bilateral relations between Zagreb and Belgrade
have great political and economic potential to stabilise the still
sensitive political circumstances in Europe's southeast," Picula
said and added the two parties decided to solve problems in stages.
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