Serbia's position regarding genocide lawsuits which it and Croatia have filed against each other has been weakened by the acquittal of two Croatian generals by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague last week, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Sunday.
Speaking in a Television Pink 2 current affairs talk show on Sunday evening, Dacic said that a scheduled visit by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Suzana Grubjesic to Zagreb had been cancelled after the acquittal of Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac last Friday.
"Serbia must realise that the Hague tribunal's ruling has serious consequences for the state. Serbia's position regarding the lawsuits which Croatia and Serbia have brought against each other has been very weakened," Dacic said.
He said that Croatia was now unlikely to withdraw its lawsuit or agree to a settlement, adding: "Why would they give up now when they have an official verdict?"
Dacic said that if Ramush Haradinaj, former prime minister of Kosovo, were also acquitted by the Hague tribunal, it would make it hard for Serbia to pursue the policy of regional reconciliation. He said that Serbia wanted to solve the Kosovo problem and was ready for a deal that would take into account "the legitimate interests of both Serbs and Albanians".
Dacic said it would be "an illusion to expect" the problem to be solved only after several hours of talks with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, but he described the meetings held so far in Brussels under the auspices of EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton as "a step forward".
"I think it is clear to everyone that this problem can be closed only with a solution that is acceptable to the Serbs as well," Dacic said, noting that the United Nations was "the only weapon in Serbia's hands".
