Important step forward for relations between the two neighbouring countries.
A daylong meeting between Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, during which they met both in Croatia and in Serbia, was completed on Monday in Subotica with the signing of the Declaration on Improving Relations and Resolving Open Issues between Croatia and Serbia, reports Novi List on June 20, 2016.
The President and the Prime Minister began their meeting with a visit to Dalj in Croatia where they talked with the Serbian minority and continued it in the afternoon by going to Tavankut in Serbia, where they met with the leadership of Croats living in Vojvodina.
The dialogue between the President and the Prime Minister continued behind the closed doors at the City Hall in Subotica and concluded with the signing of the Declaration. The six points of the Declaration state among other things that the two countries will accelerate bilateral protection of minorities and will “actively begin preparations for activities of the state commissions on determining the boundary line between Serbia and Croatia”. Also, the document provides for the search for the missing persons to become a priority as a humanitarian issue. The Declaration states willingness to actively work in the fight against terrorism and with regards to the refugee crisis, while the final point expresses willingness of the two countries to actively participate in joint developmental and cross-border projects of the European Union.
“With this Declaration, we are committed to personally do everything in our power to finally head towards the resolution of outstanding issues”, said President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović in Subotica. She stated that she believed that the accumulated problems between the two countries were partly a consequence of the lack of communication. “I will personally do everything I can to promote the culture of dialogue, co-existence and mutual respect, especially at the local level, in order to solve very specific problems that people face every day”, said the President.
Serbian Prime Minister Vučić added that he offered solutions to some of the problems of Croatian minority in Serbia. “These do not have to be some spectacular results. I am not saying that Croats will start to love the Serbs, nor that many Serbs will like Croats, but everything that we do together will be a big step forward”, said Vučić.
