Montenegro ready to pay Croatia war reparations
www.chinaview.cn 2005-07-19 02:05:38
BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro, July 19 (Xinhuanet) — Montenegrin Finance Minister Igor Luksic said on Tuesday that Montenegro was ready to pay reparations to Croatia for war damages inflicted in 1991, said reports reaching here from Podgorica.
“Montenegro has money in the budget reserves and can face paying reparations to Croatia if it should be agreed that it happens this year,” Luksic was quoted by the official Tanjug news agency as saying.
Both Montenegro and Croatia were republics of the former Yugoslav federation, which was disintegrated in 1991 into four countries resulting in wars between republics.
Earlier in July, visiting Croatian President Stjepan Mesic saidin Podgorica that Montenegro would pay reparations for damage caused to Konavli, Croatia, in the wartime 1991, which would amount to some 100 million euros.
“An agreement has been reached on the issue of reparations for Konavli and I think that it is now only a matter of time when (theagreement) will be realized,” Mesic said.
However, the agreement has met with resistance from Montenegrinopposition parties, which cited the tight budget. Besides, two Serb parties in Podgorica demanded Croatia pay compensation to Serb refugees from Croatia’s Krajina.
Luksic dismissed a possibility of a budget blockade if an agreement is reached with Croatia that Montenegro pays war reparations by the end of the year.
He said that the Montenegrin and Croatian leaderships would soon reach a political deal and sign an agreement on war reparations. Enditem
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