Ministers agree first steps to improving relations between Croatia and Serbia

The foreign ministers of Croatia and Serbia, Goran Grlić Radman and Ivica Dacić, agreed on Saturday on a series of steps to be taken in preparation for their upcoming bilateral meeting, the aim of which is to bring the sides closer together in their views on recent history and to resolve issues that could pose problems for future generations.

Grlić Radman and Dačić met in Subotica on Saturday on the occasion of the Great Prel, an event which Bunjevac Croats have been organizing in Bačka every January since 1879.

“In the interest of the citizens of both countries, we must work together and cooperate because our citizens expect an improvement in our relations, especially because of crisis situations in region,” said Grlić Radman.

At the meeting, it was agreed that in the coming months the teams of the two ministries will review the issues in order to prepare talks at the ministerial level.

Dačić pointed out that the framework for resolving these issues will be talks between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Planeković in Davos earlier this month.

“We believe that, regardless of the fact that we certainly think differently about some issues from our past, we must look for ways and mechanisms for cooperation,” said Dačić.