President Embarrasses Croatia With Slovene Comment

I`m saddened by Mesic`s statements because they speak of tensions with Croatia that make us fight over marginal issues, Pirjevec said.

Slovenian parties assessed the statement of Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, who said that they would be watching the sea from a 20 kilometre distance if it were not for Croatian partisans who liberated Istria and the Slovene coast in ending offensives towards Trieste, as “scandalous” and “disgraceful”, but Slovenia`s political top did not wish to comment. Slovene historian Joze Pirjevec said the statement was partially accurate, but it saddened him.

- The liberation of Istria and the Slovene coast is a complex issue and cannot be reduced to the final episode from April until June 1945, although President Mesic is right when he warns of the big role of Croatian fighters – Pirjevec said, who has been a history lecturer at Italian universities for a long time. He also published a book on Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslavia and communism, published by Italian publishers.

Pirjevec, who is a Slovene from Trieste, has been working in Slovenia for some 10 years now.

- It is true that there were over 39,000 Croats in the IV Yugoslav Army which forwarded towards Trieste out of 60,000 fighters, but Slovene ninth core also took part in the operations – Pirjevec said, adding that he was saddened by Mesic`s attitude, because it disrupts “war comradeship” of Slovene and Croatian partisans and because disputes are led over “marginal issues”.

Mesic is a big-scale politician

- A third party is looking forward to conflicts between Slovenia and Croatia, you know who I mean – Pirjevec said, adding that he respects Mesic as a “big-scale politician” who has showed his greatness when he openly debated with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, pointing out to the in acceptance of his statements of “blood-thirsty Slavenes” and “ethnic cleansing” of Istria and Slovene coast by Italians after World War II, which Napolitano said in his speech on Memorial Day for the Fojba victims two years ago.

 - I am saddened by Mesic`s current statements because they speak of tensions with Croatia that make us fight over marginal issues – Pirjevec said.

Mesic`s statement not worthy of a president

Slovene Euro representative Jelko Kacin issued out a press release anent Mesic`s statement, saying it was “unworthy of a president” and that Mesic “has not mocked Slovenia”, but has embarrassed Croatia and his function.

Slovene populist association “Zavod 25. lipnja 1991”, led by Josko Koras and Marjan Podobnik, stated in a special announcement that graves near Trieste witness that the city was liberated by Slovenes and that the Croatian president was “twisting historic facts”.

Read about Mesic`s Trieste comment and find out his explanation in the article: PHOTO: President Gives Passing Grade To Cabinet.