The visit of Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović to Serbia is a result of the influence of the European Union, rather than the sincere wishes of either side, but it is significant for the further development of relations between the two countries, analysts in Belgrade assessed on the occasion of the meeting of the Prime Ministers of Serbia and Croatia on Wednesday.
Former Serbian Ambassador to Germany Ognjen Pribićević commented on Milanović’s visit as a ‘warming’ between the two countries, from which not much should be expected during this period of relations. ‘For another decade or two, relations (between Serbia and Croatia) will go through a warm-cold phase, depending on political events,’ Pribićević assessed in a statement to the Tanjug agency.
Pribićević believes that it will take a long time for Serbia and Croatia to build relations similar to those of Sweden and Norway or Finland, because, according to him, ‘today Belgrade and Zagreb look towards Berlin and Brussels,’ and as a result, their cooperation has been largely neglected. ‘This achieved level is more a result of EU pressure than of sincere wishes from either side,’ Pribićević assessed.
