Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said on Tuesday that in his address at a commemoration for Bleiburg victims held on May 15 Parliament Deputy Speaker Ivan Jarnjak had politicised the event, adding that no state official should attend a commemoration organised by a man standing trial for kidnapping and convicted of murder.
"It is very important that senior state officials do not attend gatherings organised by a man convicted of murder and standing trial in Croatia for kidnapping," Josipovic said on Tuesday in a comment on media reports that one of the organisers of the Bleiburg commemoration, the secretary of the Honorary Bleiburg Platoon, Boze Vukusic, is a criminal.
Annual gatherings at Bleiburg are held to commemorate the tribulations of fleeing Croatian soldiers and civilians, who were handed over by allied forces to Tito's Partisans in Austria at the end of the World War Two. Thousands of them were killed by Partisans without a trial at Bleiburg and during death marches back to Yugoslavia known as Way of the Cross marches.
"I believe that the Sabor should have discussed if this is the best way to commemorate the Bleiburg victims," Josipovic said, adding that he felt deep respect for the victims and would visit Bleiburg, "but not under the current circumstances".
He added that Jarnjak should not have attended the commemoration either because of Ustasha symbols which he said were again displayed at the event, albeit in smaller numbers.
In his first address to reporters after his return from Russia and China, Josipovic said that the opening of new chapters in economic cooperation with those two countries was possible.
He said that his talks with Russian and Chinese officials also included concrete projects in the energy sector, investments in the ports of Rijeka and Ploce, the construction of a railway running from Rijeka to the border with Hungary, and the expansion of Zagreb Airport.
"All those projects must be put out to tender, but I'm sure that investors from the two countries will submit bids that will be seriously considered," the President said.
Asked about the latest protests of non-governmental organisations against the construction of a private underground garage in a pedestrian zone in downtown Zagreb, Josipovic said that this case was the best proof of how "valid papers" can go against citizens' expectations and public opinion and called for a referendum on the matter.
