MINISTRY OF CROATIAN VETERANS: Serbia is mocking us, they do not want to cooperate at all!

State Secretary in the Ministry of Croatian Veterans Darko Nekić stated today that Serbia still does not want to cooperate in the search for those missing in the war in Croatia, so chapter 23 in the process of Serbia’s negotiations with the European Union (EU) remains available to that country.

He said this during a debate in the Parliament of Croatia on amendments to the Law on Persons Missing in the Homeland War, which would enable probate proceedings for the missing or deceased whose burial place is unknown, without the obligation of previously declaring that person dead.

Nekić said that Croatia is still searching for 1,725 persons missing in the Homeland War and that, despite all efforts from the Croatian side, Serbia still does not want to cooperate, as well as that Zagreb will not give up until the very last missing person is found.

“We have sent a very large number of letters to the authorized bodies of the Republic of Serbia. Unfortunately, we received an answer to almost none of the requested inquiries,” Nekić replied to a parliamentary question about cooperation with Serbia, agency Hina reported.

When asked by MPs what else can be done, Nekić replied that Croatia can always resort to chapter 23 of Serbia’s pre-accession negotiations with the EU and that this chapter is monitored together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“That mechanism has remained available to us as a last resort in case of non-cooperation,” stated Nekić, who comes from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

He added that since 2016, comprehensive field research has been conducted at 443 locations, the mortal remains of 343 persons have been identified, and the remains of at least 235 persons have been found and exhumed.

An MP of the Croatian Party of Pensioners, Veselko Gabričević, assessed that Serbia is mocking Croatia.

“Let’s remember how President Vučić came to President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and handed over some folders in which there was actually nothing. They are practically mocking us,” the MP assessed.

To his question whether there are any indications of reaching those data and archives located in Belgrade, Nekić replied that Croatia reliably knows that the archival material exists, as well as who did the sanitation of the terrain and who those people are.

“We know all the data except for the data on where they moved the mortal remains of the persons they moved from the graves where they were primarily buried. We persistently insist, send requests daily, remind them, but so far we have not received any quality data,” the state secretary pointed out.

An MP of the right-wing Homeland Movement, a minor partner in the government, Predrag Mišić believes that Croatia should sever all diplomatic relations with Serbia.