Grabar-Kitarović and Vučić agree: Many open issues and different views on the past

ZAGREB, (Patria) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is on an official visit to Croatia. He and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović held a press conference where they spoke about the topics of the meeting and open issues between Serbia and Croatia, reports Patria agency.

The visit was prepared for months, and the escalation of verbal warfare accelerated this visit at the initiative of the Croatian President.

- Relations are burdened by history, and today we did not touch upon it, nor did we discuss it. It prevents us from calling the relations between the two countries friendly. We have a shared responsibility for the future of Southeast Europe. We touched upon and opened many issues. We did not agree on many things, we got closer in some areas, and not in others, but I believe we can in the time ahead and we will continue to talk - stated Grabar-Kitarović.

The President added that resolving open issues is a responsibility towards the citizens of both countries, and especially towards the families searching for their missing members, that the issue of missing persons be resolved as soon as possible.

- There are many problems; many years have passed since the war, but I am encouraged by the Serbian President's willingness to talk with associations of missing persons. We discussed the status of the Serbian and Croatian minorities in Croatia and Serbia. We will include representatives of missing persons and national minorities in official state delegations to officially improve their status in these interstate meetings - added the Croatian President.

- The main demand regarding the status of minorities is political representation of Croats at the assembly level, stated Grabar-Kitarović, and added that she believes the Serbian President will continue to talk with representatives of the Croatian minority in Serbia.

- The border issue is open. Our recommendation is to negotiate on this for the next two years, and if we do not succeed, then to go before an international legal body. The relations between Croatia and Serbia are not only important for our two peoples but for the stability of the entire southeastern region - said Grabar-Kitarović.

It was emphasized that Croatia supports Serbia's European path, and discussions were also held on joint access to European funds and economic cooperation.

Vučić said that today's meeting was not an easy step given the atmosphere that had been created around the two countries. He announced that he would have certain information very soon, at least for a few missing persons.

- Serbia and Croatia will have to, whether some in the political systems of both countries want it or not, have better relations. We must look to the future with different eyes.

He stated that the border issue is one of the open issues and that 136 km out of 262 km of the border is on the Danube.

- Croatia refers to cadastral records, while Serbia refers to the law. What we expect from Croatia is to allow Serbs to express themselves and to proudly preserve their names and surnames, to improve the rights of the Serbian minority community.

Vučić also added that trade exchange has increased and that more will be done in this area in the coming period.

- We discussed all regional issues, I think Serbs and Croats will have to talk more seriously, to encourage dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Regarding the past, we agree on nothing, but at least we understood that the other side has a completely different view, but we will try to understand it.

Vučić answered journalists' questions by saying that the utmost care is being taken to improve the relations between the two countries and their peoples.

- We will neither beg Croatia nor the European Union; if you think you should open a chapter, open it; if you think you should close it, close it.

Vučić stated that Serbia is open to any kind of discussion. He conveyed that Dragan Čović, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a welcome guest in Serbia and "is always welcome.".

- I did not go into details about the election law, and that would not be fair. We believe that Serbs and Croats have good relations in BiH and we want them to establish such relations with the Bosniak community as well - said Vučić.

- The trilateral between BiH, Serbia, and Croatia is one of the desirable mechanisms where we can discuss issues that burden BiH on its European path, and we have the right and obligation to preserve the stability of our neighboring country, according to the Dayton Peace Agreement - said the Croatian President.

- Croatia believes that the Election Law of BiH must be changed and improved. The amendments to the Election Law of BiH should respect the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH, the Sejdić-Finci ruling, and the very principle of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which is the equal rights of the three constituent peoples. This means that the representative of Croats in the Presidency of BiH should be elected by Croats, and the details of how the election law will be amended are up to the political representatives in BiH - concluded Grabar-Kitarović.