The Forum for Ethnic Relations organized a roundtable:  Bilateral Relations between Serbia and Croatia: Minority Policy and European Integrations, at Moskva hotel in Belgrade on 14 July. The Roundtable focused on the key issues influencing the relations between Serbia and Croatia, such as: the status of the Croatian minority in Serbia and the status of Serbian minority in Croatia; cross-border cooperation between the two countries; open issues; Serbia’s prospects for European integration.

Members of the Roundtable were representatives of key stakeholders, including: the Croatian national minority in Serbia, the Serbian national minority in Croatia, the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Croatian Embassy in Belgrade. One of the conclusions at the Roundtable was that Serbia and Croatia should continue to develop and strengthen their relations in key areas of common interest. The participants agreed that the relations between Serbia and Croatia are still burdened with history, but the declaration signed by Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić serves as the guidelines for new governments that will soon be formed in both countries. It was agreed that the following three areas are the most important for relations between Serbia and Croatia: resolution of open issues, improvement of economic cooperation and cooperation in the Serbia’s European integration process. Political commitment and professional conduct of institutions were identified as key prerequisites for achieving progress within these three areas.

This is the last in a series of four roundtables organized by the Forum for Ethnic Relations, with the support of the British Embassy Belgrade and the Open Society Foundation Serbia, within the project: The Status of National Minorities in Serbia and European Integrations: The Role of Neighboring Countries. The first roundtable on bilateral relations Serbia-Bulgaria was held in Niš,  on 30 May; the second roundtable on bilateral relations Serbia-Romania was held on 11 June; the third roundtable on bilateral relations Serbia-Hungary was held on 25 June, and the last roundtable on bilateral relations Serbia-Croatia was held on 14 July.  At the roundtables, the participants determined the current status of bilateral relations between Serbia and its neighboring countries, and discussed the role of national minorities in developing good neighborly relations.