BELGRADE, April 30 (Hina) - The State Secretary at the Croatian Foreign Ministry, Hido Biscevic, met the Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro, Vuk Draskovic, and Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in Belgrade on Friday.
The two sides agreed that membership of the European Union "is not a commitment, but (our) destiny".
BELGRADE, April 30 (Hina) - The State Secretary at the Croatian Foreign
Ministry, Hido Biscevic, met the Foreign Minister of Serbia and
Montenegro, Vuk Draskovic, and Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav
Kostunica in Belgrade on Friday. The two sides agreed that membership
of the European Union "is not a commitment, but (our) destiny".#L#
"We have expressed our firm commitment that all outstanding issues
between Zagreb and Belgrade can no longer be viewed in the context of
disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, but in the context of joining
the European Union, because otherwise these issues will weigh down
both sides," Biscevic told reporters after meeting Draskovic.
Biscevic said that the Croatian position was that both countries
should behave in their bilateral relations as if they already were EU
members.
It was agreed that the two countries would work out guidelines at the
highest level as soon as possible to step up efforts aimed at
resolving the outstanding issues between them. They would also prepare
a protocol on cooperation on the path towards the EU, address the
issue of border crossings, ratify an agreement on readmission of
persons, and arrange consultations between the two foreign
ministries.
"Croatia expects an open door at the next NATO summit in Istanbul and
is willing to support the admission of Serbia and Montenegro to NATO's
Partnership for Peace programme," Biscevic said.
The Croatian official said that both Draskovic and Kostunica expressed
their satisfaction and congratulated Croatia on receiving a positive
opinion from the European Commission on its application for EU
membership.
"We have conveyed a clear message in Belgrade that we will not treat
Serbia and Montenegro from the position of triumphalism and
paternalism in our relations. Croatia's journey towards the European
Union will not affect our good neighbourly relations and we will not
turn our back on our neighbours," Biscevic said.
Biscevic said that Kostunica was interested in meeting Croatian Prime
Minister Ivo Sanader and that he was satisfied with the treatment of
the Serb minority in Croatia.
(Hina) vm