Mesic: Croatia will not block Serbia's EU pathway

BELGRADE, Nov 30. (Tanjug). Croatian President Stjepan Mesic stated that, when Croatia's joins the EU, it will support Serbia's EU accession, and will not block the European pathway of any regional country as it believes that it is its own strategic interest.

In an interview published by the Belgrade daily Blic Monday, Mesic said that this implies that every candidate country should previously fulfill the given criteria and adopt the European standards.

Talking about the relations between Croatia and Serbia at the end of his mandate, Mesic pointed out that they are not as good as they could and should be, not only in the interest of the two countries and of the Serbs in Croatia, but rather in the interest of the entire region.

"The progress of Croatia-Serbia relations, the beginning of which coincides with the beginning of my presidential mandate, was halted by Croatia's recognition of the independence of Kosovo," Mesic said. "Croatia is one of the 63 countries which have done that so far. I do not see any reason why Serbia should put all the blame only on Croatia and why relations between Zagreb and Belgrade should become hostage to a move which is nothing else but a recognition of a new reality in Southeast Europe," he added.