"I am expecting that he could come in the first half of November," Josipovic said on Sunday in response to questions by reporters who were covering his regular meeting with citizens on weekends.
Vukovar Mayor Zeljko Sabo recently told Radio Free Europe that he was inviting the Serbian president to Vukovar, adding that Tadic's arrival would be important for that town. Vukovar became a symbol for the resistance of the Croatians to Serb insurgents and the then Yugoslav People's Army and a byword for the atrocities of the occupying forces in early 1990s.
Josipovic today welcomed the mayor's comment on the importance of the prospective visit by the Serb president, given that, he said, Vukovar had borne the brunt during the war.
The Croatian president commended Sabo's statement as "a message of peace, love and future".
"I hope that the entire Croatia will understand the importance of the arrival of President Tadic for the future of Croatia, the region and Europe," Josipovic said, adding that, therefore, intensive diplomatic activities were under way to ensure that Tadic's visit would be "at the best possible level" conveying "the best messages both for Croatia, including Vukovar, and for Serbia".
"Croatia, Serbia and other countries in the region certainly aspire for a common European future," Josipovic said.