Eurasia Press & News
Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader will arrive in Belgrade on Friday, his first visit to Serbia after relations between the two countries took a drastic turn for the worse last year when Zagreb recognised Kosovo’s independence.
According to the Croatian HINA agency, the visit is expected to lead to an improvement in relations, with the leaders of the two countries discussing enhanced cooperation and other open issues. This is Sanader’s third visit to Belgrade.
The Croatian prime minister is due to meet his Serbian colleague, Mirko Cvetković, and President Boris Tadić, while the agenda will feature, among other things, the open question of the return of refugees and property, missing persons, protection of national minorities and economic cooperation in the industrial and energy sectors.
Political analyst from Zagreb, Davor Djenero told the Serbian B92 radio that Croatia has finally realised that Serbia’s integration into the Euro Atlantic structures are in Croatia’s best interest too. He added that in the past few years the treatment of the Serbian minority in Croatia has improved.
Earlier this month the president of the Serbian parliament’s foreign affairs committee Dragoljub Micunovic met whith Croatia’s president and prime minister. Micunovic said that Sanader will use his visit to talk to Serbian officials about all ”problematic issues” including Hague indictments, refugees, borders.
He said finding a solution to all these issues is a priority for both governments. Micunovic also said that Serbian President Boris Tadic will visit Zagreb in May, primarily to discuss Croat indictments against Serbia lodged at the International Court of Justice. It was also announced that Croation President Stjepan Mesic would like to visit Belgrade before his presidential mandate runs out.
