Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Aleksandar Vučić meet in Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić met on Tuesday on the sidelines of the International Business Fair in Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina and discussed bilateral relations between the two countries. They allegedly did not talk about Serbia's accession negotiations with the European Union, reports Večernji List on April 12, 2016.
The meeting reportedly lasted only 10 minutes. "I think we have had problems during the last year which must be overcome. We had an election, so the rhetoric was a little bit stronger. I hope that we will calm tensions and face security threats together. I think we have to cooperate and work together to overcome the differences which exist. The important thing is mutual respect", said the President after the brief meeting.
"If you look at the relationships in this region 20 years ago, we have achieved great progress, but there are times when we return back. I am surprised with the divisions in every aspect of life. All our citizens want to work and to have a salary", added Grabar-Kitarović and said that the relations between Croatia and Serbia were not as strained as they seem. "I would not say they are strained. It is important to know how to organize a country so that both the majority and the minority peoples feel safe", said the President.
"Both Kolinda and I expressed our intention to develop good neighbourly relations", said Vučić.
Speaking at the Fair, President Grabar-Kitarović said that Croatia had a special responsibility towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. "If you look geographically, Croatia literally embraces Bosnia and Herzegovina. And this obliges us to further our cooperation and support", said the President. "In Croatia, you will have a friend and a supporter", concluded Grabar-Kitarović.
