Sisljagic and Bubalo today held a news conference in Osijek to respond to U.S Ambassador James Foley's statement that the connections of the ruling structures in this eastern Croatian city to Branimir Glavas, convicted of war crimes, had so far hindered the development of political relations between his country and the eastern part of Croatia.
Foley, who was received by Osijek Mayor Bubalo and County Prefect Sisljagic on Thursday, said it was no secret that so far they had not developed political relations with the city and the county due to certain connections that caused concern.
This concern remains, the diplomat said. Asked by reporters whether he referred to relations between some officials of the local ruling HDSSB party and Glavas, who is serving his prison term in Bosnia for war crimes in Osijek, Foley answered in the affirmative.
Sisljagic today described the ambassador's behaviour as unfair, and went on to say they had told him that it was out of the question for the HDSSB to renounce Glavas, who, the prefect said, was an innocent man convicted in a politically-rigged trial.
There is no money for which we will renounce Glavas, Sisljagic stressed.
He added that Ambassador Foley "has cooperated well with (Ivo) Sanader", adding that it is well known that during one of his visits to Washington, Sanader, a former Prime Minister, promised to "eliminate Glavas from the political scene in Croatia".
He added that the HDSSB would not allow the fact that 6,000 shells had hit Osijek during the aggression of the Yugoslav and Serb rebel forces to sink into oblivion.