Croatian President and Serbian Prime Minister give interviews before Monday’s meeting.
President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said on Sunday, on the eve of the signing of the declaration on the promotion of relations between Serbia and Croatia which she will sign on Monday with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, that she wanted the meeting to be “historic”, because both sides want to start resolving open issues. Vučić said that the meeting would be the first step in warming of relations between the two countries, reports HRT on June 19, 2016.
The President and the Prime Minister explained their positions in separate interviews given to Croatian and Serbian public broadcasters.
“There is a sincere will of both sides to move in resolving the open issues. This is not another ceremonial meeting. Our goal is not just to have something written on a piece of paper or to send a message to the international community that we have met”, said the President in the interview. She stressed that the meeting “was not encouraged by the international community, but was motivated by the mutual desire to make specific steps in order to bring the two countries closer”.
Aleksandar Vučić said that Monday’s meeting would be the first step in warming of relations between Croatia and Serbia. “I think we have achieved a great result. The agreement deals with substantive, serious, strategic issues for Serbia and Croatia. We should try to talk more with each other, show greater respect for each other. I often say that Croats should wear Serbian shoes and vice versa, and then I think we would understand each other better”, said Vučić.
