BERLIN, Feb 3 (Hina) - Kosovo should be independent, Croatian President Stipe Mesic told German weekly Der Spiegel of Saturday, saying the south Yugoslav province must have its own government and then decide about its fate. Mesic
dismissed any idea of some form of future Balkan federation, but said he had nothing against regional cooperation and open borders, "but only on a bilateral level." Speaking about Croatia's prospects of integration into Euro-Atlantic structures in association with countries in the Balkans, Mesic said: "We don't want to go to Europe in a convoy, that would certainly be the slowest pace. We want to reach the goal in a regatta, namely in the fastest way possible." The Croatian president said he was afraid Serbia might compensate for the possible independence of Kosovo and Montenegro with territorial expansion. "Serbia is evidently still hoping for the break-up of Bosnia," he add
BERLIN, Feb 3 (Hina) - Kosovo should be independent, Croatian
President Stipe Mesic told German weekly Der Spiegel of Saturday,
saying the south Yugoslav province must have its own government and
then decide about its fate.
Mesic dismissed any idea of some form of future Balkan federation,
but said he had nothing against regional cooperation and open
borders, "but only on a bilateral level."
Speaking about Croatia's prospects of integration into Euro-
Atlantic structures in association with countries in the Balkans,
Mesic said: "We don't want to go to Europe in a convoy, that would
certainly be the slowest pace. We want to reach the goal in a
regatta, namely in the fastest way possible."
The Croatian president said he was afraid Serbia might compensate
for the possible independence of Kosovo and Montenegro with
territorial expansion. "Serbia is evidently still hoping for the
break-up of Bosnia," he added.
Mesic criticised Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica for
stalling with the extradition of former President Slobodan
Milosevic to UN's war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
"The Serbs have to finally realise that Milosevic's fall alone does
not fulfil their contribution to democracy. Belgrade's
expansionist and criminal policy in the recent past should be
publicly condemned," he said in the interview to Der Spiegel.
(hina) ha