Croatia Will Not Be Serbia`s Slovenia

Serbia believes that Croatia and Serbia should decide will they start cherishing the policy of trust and help each other.

Serbia and Croatia should decide whether they will remain hostages of open issues or cherish the policy of trust and help each other on their path towards the EU. This idea was heard at the forum “European Future of Croatia and Serbia”, held on Friday in Balgrade`s non-governmental association Centre for Cultural Decontamination, organised by the Vreme weekly and the Friedrich Ebert foundation.

Forum participants pointed out that region countries, especially neighbours, should help each other on their European path, and not get in each other`s way.

President of the Croatian National Board for monitoring negotiations with the EU, Vesna Pusic, mentioned, with regret, Slovenia`s blockade of Croatia in opening the and closing the remaining chapters of EU accession negotiations.

When asked by a reporter if Croatia would do the same to Serbia one day, Pusic replied that “Croatia would be mad to prevent Serbia on its path to the EU”, adding that if she will be politically active at the time, she will personally make sure this does not happen. She pointed out that he agreed with the statement of Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, who said that “Croatia will not be Serbia`s Slovenia”.

Serbia in last position concerning criteria fulfilment

President of the Serbian Parliament Board for European integration Laslo Varga pointed out that Croatia is before the EU doors, because there is a consensus about the matter in the county. The authorities obtained power in Serbia according to the pro-European orientation, but, according to him, these elections did not provide an answer to the question if Serbia actually wants to move to the West or the East, therefore, according to him, Serbia is not in the last position concerning EU criteria fulfilment.

President of Croatian Parliament Board for inter-parliamentary co-operation and a member of the Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS) Milorad Pupovac reiterated the proposal for the establishment of a Council of trust between Croatia and Serbia, advocating some sort of an agreement on European responsibility which would motivate stability in region relations.