Croatian president's pardon, Kosovo visit, strains Serbian ties

Jan 8, 2010, 18:03 GMT

Belgrade - Ties between Belgrade and Zagreb reached a new low this week, after Croatian President Stjepan Mesic reduced a sentence for a convicted war criminal and then visited Kosovo, a separatist region Serbia claims as its own.

Mesic on Thursday reduced a sentence for former Croatian police officer Sinisa Rimac, who was found guilty of killing Serb civilians during the 1991-95 war in Croatia.

Then, on Friday, Mesic visited Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, saying that Kosovo's independence is 'a new reality.' Serbia has steadfastly opposed Kosovo's independence.

Mesic has called upon countries to recognize independent Kosovo and for Belgrade not to nourish 'unreal dreams that things are not over yet and that the wheel of history can be turned back.'

Serbian President Boris Tadic responded by saying that Mesic's visit to Kosovo is hurting ties between two countries 'in an effective way.' Tadic also criticized the reduction of Rimac's sentence.

'When the Croatian president, who is leaving the office, pardons the villan who killed Serb children just because of their nationality, that is an act to be condemned and a deeply anti- European and anti-civilized decision,' Tadic said.

He added that Mesic's pardon and visit to Pristina 'is efficiently spoiling relations with Serbia.'

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008 and has been recognized by more than 60 countries, including the United States and the majority of the European Union.

Since the 1990s break-up of Yugoslavia, Croatia and Serbia have had an up-and-down relationship, which has recently gone sour after both countries filed genocide charges against each other before the International Court of Justice.

Croatia is holding presidential elections on Sunday. The latest surveys project that Social Democrat Ivo Josipovic will beat Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic.