ZAGREB, Nov 6 (Hina) - Prevlaka is not a territorial but a security issue and it should be demilitarised on both sides of the border, Croatian President Stipe Mesic said on Sunday, and a Croatian foreign ministry spokesman expressed
hope the new Yugoslav government would prove its new political orientation on the example of Prevlaka, Croatia's southern-most peninsula bordering with Montenegro, one of Yugoslavia's two republics. Mesic was commenting on a statement by the president of the Serbian Democratic Party, Zoran Djindjic, who called on Zagreb to make a "gentleman's" move for the sake of re-establishment of trust between Croatia and Yugoslavia by ceding Prevlaka to Montenegro as a demilitarised tourist zone. "Prevlaka is not a territorial but a security issue and if that is so, there is no need for militarisation on either side. I think this is the most logical solution," Mesic said in Croatian
ZAGREB, Nov 6 (Hina) - Prevlaka is not a territorial but a security
issue and it should be demilitarised on both sides of the border,
Croatian President Stipe Mesic said on Sunday, and a Croatian
foreign ministry spokesman expressed hope the new Yugoslav
government would prove its new political orientation on the example
of Prevlaka, Croatia's southern-most peninsula bordering with
Montenegro, one of Yugoslavia's two republics.
Mesic was commenting on a statement by the president of the Serbian
Democratic Party, Zoran Djindjic, who called on Zagreb to make a
"gentleman's" move for the sake of re-establishment of trust
between Croatia and Yugoslavia by ceding Prevlaka to Montenegro as
a demilitarised tourist zone.
"Prevlaka is not a territorial but a security issue and if that is
so, there is no need for militarisation on either side. I think this
is the most logical solution," Mesic said in Croatian Television's
central news broadcast.
Mesic said the problem should be resolved in a principled manner
which "can most contribute to good neighbourly relations."
Croatian Foreign Ministry spokesman Goran Rotim said Djindjic's
stand "would be bizarre if it were not dangerous."
Djindjic's statement jeopardises statements his coalition
partners Zarko Korac and Svetozar Krstic made during a visit to
Zagreb in early October, Rotim said.
"It also challenges the orientation of the new government of the new
premier Zizic," Rotim said, expressing hope the government of the
new Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica would be principled in
breaking away from the policy of Slobodan Milosevic.
"Prevlaka is an integral part of Croatia... and it is also an
integral part of commitments of Yugoslav authorities on which they
can prove their new foreign policy," Rotim said, adding that
"Croatia has appreciated and will continue to appreciate
Montenegro's contribution to the resolution of this security
issue."
Rotim recalled that Croatian and Montenegrin foreign ministers
Tonino Picula and Branko Lukovac would meet in Cavtat on Tuesday.
(hina) rml