FM Pusić on Serbian PM Vučić’s statement regarding Oluja

Comment by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić

Comment by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić.

(transcript)

Reporter: Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić said he would propose three-day mourning on the occasion of Operation Oluja (Storm). He also said that while Croatia celebrated that day, Serbia was in sorrow. How do you comment his statement as well as the announcement that people will light candles on the Rača border crossing?

Pusić: I don’t understand it. It is perfectly natural for a country to celebrate the anniversary of its territorial unification. Before that, Croatia was occupied by the so-called Yugoslav National Army, which later morphed into Milošević’s army, as well as the paramilitary.

So, this is what we are celebrating. We are not celebrating anyone’s individual tragedy, which is inevitable in any war. What Croatia is celebrating is its liberation and unification, and not anyone’s suffering. Neither are we celebrating the suffering of Croatian Serbs, who left the country during the war and are now, I am happy to say, coming back of their own accord because they believe life will be better here. They are welcome, this is their country too.

Therefore, to reiterate, Croatia is not celebrating anyone’s suffering. We are celebrating freeing ourselves from occupation and expect not only understanding but support from any normal policy. I don’t see how any policy can proclaim a day of mourning on a day when a country liberated itself from occupation and being torn apart. So, this is my comment and my message. And I think now might be the time to stop using the wars of the ‘90s for the purposes of political promotion.

We haven’t achieved anything if we all cannot look towards the future. This is the responsibility of the politicians, and the recent events are counterproductive for the relations in the region and their normalization, dragging them down even.

 

Reporter: Slovenian delegation cancelled its attendance of the military parade. Do you think it has something to do with the Serbian prime minister?

Pusić: I don’t think it has anything to do with anything. The parade should be organized by Croatia and its forces. We have never organized it in Zagreb simply out of respect for the people who liberated Croatia and because of the subsequent peaceful reintegration of Eastern Slavonia, which marked the end of Croatia’s territorial reunification. Everyone should respect that, just like everyone should respect every victim, regardless of how and why it happened.

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