President Milanović: Missing Persons Issue Must be Resolved before Serbia Joins European Union
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović met in his Office with representatives of Homeland War veterans’ associations, the Homeland War Special Police Association of the Republic of Croatia and the Assembly of Croatian Guards Veterans’ Associations. Mr. Zoran Maras represented the Homeland War Special Police Association of the Republic of Croatia at the meeting with President Milanović, while Mr. Željko Dragašević and Mr. Ilija Vučemilović Šimunović represented the Assembly of Croatian Guards Veterans’ Associations.
The talks with the President revolved around the fate of missing Croatian defenders and civilians, lawsuits filed by former Croatian detainees against the Republic of Serbia and possible war reparations by the Republic of Serbia for its aggression against the Republic of Croatia. The marking of Homeland War anniversaries was also discussed. Representatives of veterans’ associations expressed their view that these issues can only be resolved by involving the country’s top institutions, i.e. the President of the Republic, the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Parliament. The representatives therefore asked for assistance from President Milanović.
President Milanović and representatives of veterans’ associations fully agreed that the most important thing is to solve the fate of missing Croatian defenders and civilians because that is above all a matter of humaneness. The representatives received firm support from the President of the Republic in view of their request. Namely, the President believes that before joining the European Union, the Republic of Serbia must provide information on the whereabouts of the remains of missing Croatian defenders and civilians.
“The issue of missing persons must be resolved before Serbia joins the EU. We know that our neighbours know, and they must know, much more about those who went missing than they are revealing. That is a human, symbolic and state issue,” said President Milanović.
On the issue of war reparations and lawsuits filed by former Croatian detainees, President Milanović expressed understanding for this line of thought by veterans’ associations, although in the argument-based discussion he drew attention to the fact that in reality there are legal obstacles to this.
Furthermore, representatives of veterans’ associations informed President Milanović of their initiative calling for the introduction of clear regulations for marking major Homeland War anniversaries. According to their proposal, which was already presented to the Government, key anniversaries should be marked with the joint participation of the state leadership and the families of the victims. President Milanović recalled that on several occasions he had proposed likewise. “I believe that the state leadership should jointly participate in the ceremonies,” said the President of the Republic.
Also attending the meeting in the Office of the President was the President’s Special Adviser for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek