LJUBLJANA, Feb 12 (Hina) - Problems in the bilateral relations between Croatia and Slovenia can be settled very soon and the international community expects it from us, Croatia's President-elect Stipe Mesic was quoted by the Slovene
daily "Dnevnik" as saying. In his interview, published in Saturday's issue of this paper, Mesic announced that he would pay visit to Slovenia immediately after his inauguration as Croatian President, scheduled for February 18. Mesic added that he was pleased to receive Slovene President Milan Kucan's invitation to come to Ljubljana. According to Croatian President-elect, efforts to solve open issues in the Croatian-Slovene ties have come to a standstill also due to internal political interests of both countries. Mesic stressed that those problems should be settled promptly on the grounds of compromise and this mean that both parties have to abandon their maximum demands. Pro
LJUBLJANA, Feb 12 (Hina) - Problems in the bilateral relations
between Croatia and Slovenia can be settled very soon and the
international community expects it from us, Croatia's President-
elect Stipe Mesic was quoted by the Slovene daily "Dnevnik" as
saying.
In his interview, published in Saturday's issue of this paper,
Mesic announced that he would pay visit to Slovenia immediately
after his inauguration as Croatian President, scheduled for
February 18. Mesic added that he was pleased to receive Slovene
President Milan Kucan's invitation to come to Ljubljana.
According to Croatian President-elect, efforts to solve open
issues in the Croatian-Slovene ties have come to a standstill also
due to internal political interests of both countries.
Mesic stressed that those problems should be settled promptly on
the grounds of compromise and this mean that both parties have to
abandon their maximum demands.
Problems should be considered in view to the EuroAtlantic
organisations where Slovenia and Croatia should be logistic
support to each other.
"It is not real to think that Slovenia can enter the European Union
unless we settle our mutual disputes, and it is not real to think
that Croatia can go in the EU without Slovenia," Mesic said.
Commenting on the refugee issue and relations with the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro), Mesic said the
resolution of this problem "is not possible if we do not treat it in
its entirety, for the area of the former Yugoslavia (SFRY), and if
we do not show principle all the time (until the solution of the
problem). We must treat all refugees equally, as they are not liable
for the war. The war has caused problems to all of us, regarding
either Bosnian Croats or Croatian Serbs. In Croatia there are
Croats who fled Bosnia but they cannot still return to their homes
in Bosnia, as nothing has been done to enable refuges to come back,"
he explained.
The readiness of the international community to solve this must be
reflected to the utmost in the resoluteness to begin settling the
matter in Bosnia. Thus it will help Croatia to ensure the return of
all refugees, Mesic said in the interview entitled "I Am Absolute
Optimist."
(hina) ms