MFAEI refutes Serbian media statement that Croatia offered insufficient guarantees to Serbian national airline JAT regarding Belgrade-Dubrovnik-Belgrade route for 2009 season

That it is so is evident from the guarantees signed during the bilateral negotiations between expert teams from Croatia and Serbia held 13 and 14 July 2009 by Serbian Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjić and Croatian Ambassador in Belgrade Željko Kuprešak. The Minutes clearly state that the delegations agreed that until a bilateral agreement on air traffic between Croatia and Serbia is signed, temporary permits will be issued to Croatian and Serbian airliners.

We would like to point out that the Croatian airline authorities, with the aim of establishing neighbourly relations with Serbia, have in 2008 and now in 2009 been issuing temporary permits to JAT for the Belgrade-Pula-Belgrade route, although no bilateral agreement on air traffic opening had been signed.

Said flights have been commencing unhindered for the second year in a row. In the same way, by issuing temporary permits, the Croatian airline authorities have allowed JAT to fly commercial flights to Dubrovnik.