Briefing Paper Thursday, 25 March 2010

Serbian, Croatian presidents agree on Bosnia's indivisibility

Excerpt from report by Serbian public broadcaster RTS TV satellite service, on 24 March

[Anchor] The president of Serbia and Croatia, Boris Tadic and Ivo Josipovic, have met for the first time in Croatia, a month after the Croatian president's inauguration. The talks focused on the genocide lawsuit and countersuit, the missing, the refugees and the minorities.

The aim of the meeting was to improve bilateral relations, which deteriorated two years ago when Croatia recognized Kosovo.

[Reporter Natasa Mijuskovic] Opatija [coastal resort] was chosen for the first informal meeting. The two presidents used the trip aboard a Croatian navy ship from the island of Krk, where the Serbian president's plane landed, for talks about many issues.

They have agreed that the main issue of the mutual genocide lawsuits at the International Court of Justice in The Hague can be resolved through an out-of-court settlement while all war crimes perpetrators must be brought to justice.

[Serbian President Boris Tadic] We have the good will to work, as state representatives, on a compromise solution which will good for both sides but will not annul the principles of justice and fairness.

[Croatian President Ivo Josipovic] The lawsuit is not an end in itself, and if an out-of-court settlement about the issues raised in the lawsuits can be reached, then the lawsuit would become pointless.

[Reporter] The presidents are in favour of developing bilateral relations on the basis of the principle of European partnership aimed at ensuring that the whole region joins the European Union.

Principles and ways of resolving all outstanding issues have been agreed on at the first meeting.

[Josipovic] We are certain that all state bodies in both states, specifically our governments which are responsible for majority of issues, will - as they have started doing - work in the spirit of good neighbourly relations and progress on all issues and topics bothering us.

[Reporter] One of the issues was Bosnia-Hercegovina, which will be discussed at a session on the Western Balkans in Brussels on Saturday, when the Serbian and Croatian presidents are due to meet again.

[Tadic] Serbia opposes in principle and through practical politics any division of Bosnia-Hercegovina. We also discussed this issue today and we agreed on the following: the integrity of Bosnia-Hercegovina must not be brought into question.

[Reporter] Neither the Serbian nor the Croatian public knew about the meeting of the two presidents until the last moment, so their arrival in Opatija surprised the locals.

[Tadic] How are you, girls?

[Girls] Fine. Oh! [girls laugh in surprise when they see Josipovic]

[Reporter] The Serbian president said he was symbolically the first Serbian tourist in Croatia and that despite prejudices and stereotypes existing on both sides of the border, his arrival in Opatija has sent the best message ahead of the tourist season. [passage omitted: they fail to agree on which country will Davis cup match]

Source: RTS SAT TV, Belgrade, in Serbian 1830 gmt 24 Mar 10

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Senad Kamenica, COM EUFOR Media Advisor

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