"I absolutely support Croatia's admission to the EU as soon as possible and I today would like to remove all rumours and speculations that it is in Serbia's interest to halt the integration of Croatia... It is Serbia's vital and national interest to see Croatia enter the EU as soon as possible," Tadic said after his talks with Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor in Zagreb during his two-day official visit to Croatia.
PM Kosor said Croatia strongly supported Serbia's European path, adding that it was of great importance for the stability of the region and for the prosperity of their two countries.
Croatia, whose accession negotiations are nearing completion, will keep supporting European path of Serbia and of the entire southeast of Europe, Kosor said.
Addressing the press, Tadic said Serbia and Croatia still had some outstanding issues such as border demarcation, succession to the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and genocide lawsuits before the International Court of Justice.
"All of this burden our relations... our two commissions will continue working on the settlement of those issues," the Serbian president said.
The two countries will naturally take into account their own national interests but they also must seek opportunities to find joint solutions, he added.
The issues of people who went missing in the war and of refugees and returnees were also on the agenda of the Kosor-Tadic talks. This issue was also discussed at the talks Tadic held with his host, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, earlier in the day.
Kosor said that during the talks political agreement was reached on principles which should serve as pillars for the lasting solution of problems which the returnees faced.
In this context she announced an international conference for raising funds for this purpose.
The two officials also pointed out to the need to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.