Serbian President Boris Tadic said in Prague on Monday that some recent statements by Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic were "absolutely unacceptable," that Serbia-Croatia relations were extremely important, and that one should go back to dialogue and not disturb them with tactless statements.
According to the Tanjug news agency, Tadic was asked to comment on the recent cooling of Belgrade-Zagreb relations.
"Relations between Serbia and Croatia are too important to be brought into question with tactless statements," Tadic said, adding that those relations were of "the utmost importance for stability in Southeast Europe."
"We have to go back to dialogue, we have to solve concrete problems and build the closest friendship possible between the Serbian and Croatian peoples, between Serbia and Croatia," Tadic said, adding that he had done a lot with Croatian President Ivo Josipovic to elevate relations between the two countries to the highest level and that this must be pursued.
In talks with Tadic, Czech President Vaclav Klaus said his country supported Serbia in its European integration. He said the EU should not set any conditions for Serbia that had not been set for other countries, adding that the Czech Republic would help Serbia draw closer to the Union.
Tadic said Serbia wanted to join the EU but that, obviously, this could not happen overnight but when reforms had been carried out. He said Serbia's accession would contribute to the stability of all Western Balkan countries as well as EU countries.
He reiterated that as long as he was president Serbia would not recognise Kosovo, saying he did not believe that anyone after him would do so either. He added that Belgrade wanted dialogue with Pristina and that it accepted the EU's rule of law mission in its neutral function, but that it could not accept the abolishment of institutions in northern Kosovo, as they were important for the people living there.
