- Published: 31.08.2022.
Minister Grlić Radman: There's understanding Croatia, Slovenia can solve outstanding issues
"We are only more mature," he told Slovenia's STA news agency, adding that "the understanding has matured that we can solve outstanding issues in the foreseeable future."
He said those issues dated to the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, "notably the border issue, which at that time wasn't precisely defined either on land or at sea." He added that "this issue should not burden the relations of the two friendly states."
Stable relations strengthen progress in both countries, and their citizens "feel there is a positive spirit in the relations," Grlić Radman said. "In that spirit, we will be able to solve the remaining outstanding issues."
On Monday and Tuesday, he attended the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia, meeting with Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon. They also attended the first bilateral meeting between the two countries' prime ministers. The two countries' interior ministers met on Monday.
Grlić Radman said those meetings proved how many areas of cooperation there were and how important Croatia-Slovenia relations were.
He congratulated Slovenia and its governments on "ensuring the continuity" of the Bled Strategic Forum, which he called prestigious and important.
He said the good cooperation was also evident in Slovenia's support for Croatia's euro and Schengen area accession, which he said would benefit Slovenia, too. "Croatia does not protect only state borders but also European Union borders when it prevents illegal migration."
He added that Slovenia also supported Croatia's OECD accession.
Grlić Radman said Slovenia's removal of the razor-wire fence from the border "is a sign of trust in Croatia as well as a political sign that Croatia is mature enough to be a Schengen member and that it can protect EU borders."
He recalled that Croatia shares a 1,000-kilometre-border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. "It's a big challenge, but we guard it very responsibly."
He would not comment on views that by joining Schengen, Croatia would have to recognise member states' borders and thereby the Croatia-Slovenia border arbitration award. He said Croatia did not accept the award and that all outstanding issues should be settled bilaterally.
Commenting on the Western Balkans, Grlić Radman pushed for a stable BiH, saying it was in Croatia's interest. He expects the 2 October parliamentary election in BiH to be "democratic and fair" and High Representative Christian Schmidt to "use his Bonn powers and eliminate the democracy deficit."
The minister said Croatia-Serbia relations were at a very low level and that Serbia had a lot of work ahead if it wanted to make headway in Euro-Atlantic integration.
"We want Serbia to join the EU, but first it has to respect the rule of law, human rights and minority rights. Some bilateral issues are also important, but they are universal in nature. Croatia is still looking for 1,834 missing persons from the war. We don't know their fate. Their families are alive. So it's a civilisational issue. And that's important for Serbia if it wants to join the EU and NATO. It must show through action that it deserves membership."
Grlić Radman said Serbia must also take a stand on the EU's common foreign policy. "We can't understand their ministers' visits to Moscow nor that it has not solidarily condemned Russia's aggression (on Ukraine)," he said. "We hope it will choose the democratic camp and adopt European values."
He said those values included the condemnation and prosecution of the war crimes committed in Croatia. "We expect Serbia to stop glorifying those crimes and to rescind its grotesque law on universal jurisdiction whereby it is abusing international law for its political purposes and interests."
Grlić Radman said Serbia was the aggressor during Yugoslavia's break-up. "Croatia felt all the brutality of hegemonic policy when Serbia wanted to rule over the former state and create a unitary society, which in the multinational Yugoslavia was not possible."
He drew parallels with Russia's aggression on Ukraine. "We see it in the vocabulary. The talk about denazification is the same as that used by Russia. When Russia talks about Russian peace, Serbia talks about a Serbian world. Attempts are still being made to revive those failed policies. Those are politicians who don't respect others, who don't respect international law and the world order. That's what Russia is doing in Ukraine. In the 21st century, that's incredible."
Text: Hina