After concluding his first official visit to Croatia, Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic assessed that relations between Belgrade and Zagreb had taken a turn in the right direction and that the gradual resolution of differences would contribute toward solving graver problems, Belgrade media reported on Tuesday.
A great deal of attention was focussed on Vucic's talks with the highest officials in Croatia and the media in particular underscored the resoluteness of the governments in Belgrade and Zagreb to solve the problems and to advance political and economic relations, stressing that the future is more important than the past and that problems need to be treated "rationally and pragmatically".
The Vecernje Novosti daily headlined its article "Serbia and Croatia: Strengthening ties brings down lawsuits (for genocide)", while the Politika points out that despite existing problems "Belgrade-Zagreb relations are the backbone of the region".
Most reports assess that the bilateral talks in Zagreb "certainly raised the level of relations between the two countries", which can be seen in the statements made by Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusic who said that the important working meeting with Vucic and the Serbian delegation "in itself reflects more substantial and better relations between Croatia and Serbia".
European Parliament rapporteur on Serbia Jelko Kacin told Radio Free Europe (RFE) that Vucic's visit shows that Belgrade is completely dedicated to normalising relations in the region. I think that the visit will certainly relax relations between Zagreb and Belgrade, he said.
Talking on the country's national broadcaster, Radio Television Serbia (RTS), Vucic said that during his talks with Croatia's leading officials issues that the two sides disagree on were also raised, particularly the period between 1991 and 1995.
"We view Operation Storm differently. They with pride and we with sorrow. We did not hide that and did not try and sweep it under the carpet", he said.
According to Vucic, some significant topics were initiated, including the search for missing persons from the war and the status of Serb pensioners who have not been eligible for Croatian pensions since 1991 as well as the question of tenancy rights for refugee Serbs.
"We spoke about the fact that we had large joint projects for the future and I expect to get Croatia's support on our path to the European Union", Vucic told RTS.
He thanked his hosts for their hospitality and announced a meeting between the two presidents, stating that Tomislav Nikolic of Serbia and Ivo Josipovic of Croatia would first see each other in Macedonia and then in Zagreb on July 1.
