State Secretary for Political Affairs at the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry, Hido Biščević, met today, May 19, 2005, with the Serbia and Montenegro Foreign Affairs Ministry delegation, led by the Assistant Minister and head of the Bilateral Relations Sector, Miomir Udovički, in order to hold political consultations of the Republic of Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro Foreign Affairs Ministries

During the conversation, both sides assessed as positive the upward trend of mutual relations between the two countries, which created an atmosphere conducive to a more intense dialogue and faster solving of the open issues, in order to fully normalise and develop good neighbourly relations.

State Secretary Biščević pointed to the fact that raising of ideological issues from the past had a negative effect on the mutual relations' dynamics, and that it was necessary to make efforts in order to well-establish the European values in interstate relations. He also stressed the need to strengthen co-operation and good neighbourly relations between the countries by solving the open issues.

State Secretary Biščević and Assistant Minister Udovički stressed the importance of a faster and constructive solving of all open issues. At the meeting, it was arranged for meetings concerning the following issues to be held by summer: refugees and missing persons, return of cultural goods, return of land and main registers, co-operation of the State Attorney's Offices in cases of war crimes and in fighting against organised crime, and police co-operation that would deal with state border crossings and re-admission.

The Republic of Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro delegations exchanged their opinions on some of the current international activities and issues that are of interest to both countries, particularly concerning the territory of South-East Europe. Importance of the two countries’ future progress in the process of EU integrations was emphasised, i.e. a soon start of Croatia’s negotiations with the European Union and a start of Serbia and Montenegro’s negotiations on Stabilisation and Association Agreement.

As part of the conversation on the two countries’ NATO integrations, Serbia and Montenegro expressed its support to a soon accession of Croatia to NATO, and the Croatian side supported Serbia and Montenegro’s accession to NATO’s Partnership for Peace. The two countries expressed their satisfaction at the exchanged experiences.




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