DEPUTY Prime Minister Boris Milosevic said on Thursday the messages from the Operation Storm anniversary were the beginning of a long path on which the incumbent government must not stop.
"There have been strong gestures and strong speeches before. That's why I would say that this is the beginning of a long path on which this government must not stop," he told the public broadcaster when asked if this was the beginning of a new Croatia.
I condemn all war crimes, notably against Croats
Asked what he thought of PM Andrej Plenkovic's messages, who said several times that it was necessary to honour all innocent victims, both Croats and Serbs, Milosevic called them healing.
"It meant a lot to me, to feel like an equal Croatian citizen. That's why I would say, as a deputy prime minister and as a man, that I condemn all such crimes, notably the crimes committed against Croats in Lovas, Skabrnja, Nadin and everywhere else."
Milosevic said his attending the Operation Storm anniversary in Knin yesterday was emotional for him and his entire family, but that they understood.
He also commented on a recent Facebook post in which he said that his father had been in the Croatian army and his grandmother killed.
"It was my duty, as a member of the government, that the public hear the story of a Serb from Croatia," he said, adding that the public was mature enough for such a story and not to misinterpret it.
As a society we are mature enough to hear one another and respect that, said Milosevic.
He welcomed Veterans Minister Tomo Medved's decision to visit Grubori, where a war crime against Serb civilians was committed.
"There the state will honour innocent victims and say 'no' to all the war crimes that were committed in its name," Milosevic said, adding that the government must not stop at that but create a climate in society in which it would be possible to honour all victims and trace all the war missing, regardless of ethnicity.
I did not expect understanding from Serbia
Asked how he was dealing with the pressures and insults from Serbia for attending the Operation Storm anniversary, Milosevic said he did not expect understanding but that he hoped that, with time, his going to Knin would be analysed more rationally.
He reiterated that he did not blame anyone who had to leave their home and felt that no justice was done.
Asked if it was time for someone from Serbia to admit to the war crimes committed in Croatia and send messages like those that came from Croatian state leaders in Knin yesterday, Milosevic said he would not talk about how Serbia should run its policy.
"I think Croatia and Serbia should run their policies in ways which they think best protect their interests, but the fact is that we are neighbouring countries, connected throughout history by political, economic, cultural, even family ties, and only a good neighbourly policy can give results."