ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Monday released a statement on Croatia's relations with neighbouring Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).
MESIC ISSUES STATEMENT ON CROATIA-YUGOSLAVIA RELATIONS
ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Monday
released a statement on Croatia's relations with neighbouring
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).#L#
Following is the unofficial translation of the statement:
"The Republic of Croatia has expressed satisfaction with the
results of FRY elections. We have congratulated President
Kostunica on the electoral victory and voiced hope the course of
events will confirm Yugoslavia's determination to not only subvert
Milosevic's totalitarian regime, but to also condemn a failed,
agressive and criminal policy, and effect changes aimed at the
democratisation of society, the building of the rule of law and the
respect of human rights. With this Yugoslavia, the Republic of
Croatia is willing to constructively settle all open issues.
"We expect that new, democratic Yugoslavia will condemn and take a
clear distance from the expansionist, Greater Serbia policy of the
previous regime, and explicitly acknowledge the facts. We in
particular expect that the position of all other countries created
on the territory of the former SFRY (Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia) will be accepted - the position which has been accepted
by the broadest international community - that FRY is one of the
equal successors to the former Federation, with equal rights and
obligations as the other four states (Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia), with an equal share of the
property, archives, rights, claims and debts of the former state,
and with the same right of succession to international contracts
and accession - under equal conditions - to international
organisations. In these issues, not one successor state can have a
preferential position or automatically acquired rights.
"We likewise expect that new, democratic Yugoslavia will start
acknowledging the significance and position of minorities in FRY,
as well as the role of the Serb Montenegrin minority in neighbouring
countries; starting, first of all, with the assumption that
minorities can and must be an important element of cooperation
among the states, and definitely not an excuse for territorial
pretensions towards the neighbours.
"We believe this Yugoslavia can approach a peaceful and just
settling of relations between Serbia and Montenegro and the
position of Kosovo and Vojvodina. Moreover, this future Yugoslavia
can and must contribute to the political stabilisation and economic
prosperity of integral and sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Yugoslavia cannot avoid accountability for the war crimes
committed by members of its armed forces and paramilitary units or
other (Yugoslav) citizens. This guilt is not collective but always
individual, and it is the state which has to bring the culprits to
justice, (the state) must prosecute them, that is, extradite them
to the Tribunal in The Hague at the Tribunal's request.
"The Republic of Croatia understands the willingness of the
international community to accept a new, democratic Yugoslavia, to
gradually lift sanctions - primarily those affecting the widest
strata of the population - and to extend assistance in overcoming
the difficulties which have been inherited and in building a new
society. We are willing to cooperate with this new Yugoslavia, in
view of developing bilateral relations, as the strengthening of
new, democratic, peace-loving and constructive Yugoslavia in
regional projects might considerably advance the solving of a
series of open issues.
"Croatia bears in mind that international community assistance to
new Yugoslavia will not be redirected from other, previously
granted programmes of assistance to other countries in transition.
At the same time, Croatia dismisses as frivolous and irrelevant all
speculations about the revival or establishment of new supra-state
entities in this territory. What is being created in the Balkans, in
Southeast Europe and our entire continent is called a new, unified,
democratic and progressive Europe, of which Croatia will be a full-
right part. We hope new Yugoslavia will choose the same path.
"Croatia is confident the upcoming Zagreb Summit, in late November,
will be an opportunity to estimate the true character and real depth
of the changes in Yugoslavia."
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