"Minister Ostojic said that a recent newspaper headline was tendentiously taken out of context and that he wanted to help in harmonising the co-existence of the Roma community and other residents of Medjimurje County. He said he had good partners in the Roma community," Kajtazi said in a statement, adding that he had visited Ostojic in a Zagreb hospital where he was recovering after a minor surgery.
Kajtazi said that during their conversation they had expressed a desire for better cooperation between the police and the Roma community. Kajtazi thanked Ostojic for receiving him and conveyed to him greetings from the Roma community wishing him a speedy recovery. He said they would meet after the minister was released from hospital.
International human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Friday expressed concern about Ostojic's statement. During his visit to Medjimurje two days ago, Ostojic accused Roma as main culprits for property-related crimes in the county, saying that they used welfare benefits to buy alcohol rather than spend them on basic necessities.