The Republic of Croatia Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry’s response to the latest statement of the Serbia and Montenegro Foreign Affairs Minister Vuk Drašković and his assessment of the Croatian liberation and military Storm operation

The Republic of Croatia expects the Serbian leadership to reject the Great Serbianism hegemony and to stop claiming the neighbouring countries' territories, in order to confirm its full readiness to reject the heritage of Slobodan Milošević’s former regime politics. Minister Drašković's statements raise doubts due to the fact that he had earlier declared himself an opponent to the politics of Milošević's regime.

Regarding the repeated statements and political interpretations given by the Serbia and Montenegro's high circles on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Storm operation, the Republic of Croatia Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry stresses the Republic of Croatia finds unacceptable Serbia and Montenegro's attempts to unfoundedly and one-sidedly revise the history and negate the objective facts and historical truth of the events happening in the post-Yugoslavia territory during the 1990s.

Under such circumstances, the Republic of Croatia assesses it is necessary to strengthen the efforts to hold and improve the level of bilateral relations in the upcoming period, in the interest of stability and progress in this part of Europe and in the spirit of EU's 2003 Salonika Declaration.

Stressing the great importance of the relations between the Republic of Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro for the stability and security of this part of Europe and rejecting the political controversies on the events of the recent past, the Republic of Croatia Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry confirms there is no alternative to the normalization of relations between the Republic of Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro and to the establishment of good neighbourly relations on equality, reciprocity and co-operation principles, as the foundation for overcoming the recent past in the interest of both countries and their nations.