Eurasia Press & News
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić has rejected criticism coming from Croatia concerning his recent statements.
The MFA in Zagreb accused the Serbian chief of diplomacy of “taking advantage“ of Croatian President Ivo Josipović’s recent apology at the Bosnia-Herzegovina parliament.
“I don’t want to deepen the polemic and influence further discussions in Zagreb, where there’s obviously no joint view on political issues,“ Jeremić said, in reference to the fact that Josipović was criticized for his apology by the Croatian prime minister, and that the gesture has since been described as “an expression of regret” in Zagreb.
Jeremić said in Belgrade today that Serbia was dedicated to regional cooperation and past must be “looked at in order to move forward”, as this was the “only possible way“.
The foreign minister also expressed his hope that “Croatia too would have the strength to move forward“.
Earlier this week, Jeremić addressed a conference in Italy, to say that Serbia was encouraged with Josipović’s “expression of deep regret”, over Croatia’s policy under President Franjo Tuđman, which caused suffering and divisions in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, former President Stjepan Mesić and the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Ministry criticized Jeremić’s statement last night. Josipović also spoke to say that it was in fact Slobodan Milošević who was the main culprit “for all crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia”.
