DS party leader shakes hands with Kosovo Albanian PM

Source: Beta, Tanjug

BELGRADE, ZAGREB -- Democratic Party (DS) leader and former Serbian President Boris Tadić had numerous meetings at the 7th Croatia Summit on Saturday, said reports from Dubrovnik.

Boris Tadić (Tanjug, file)

Among them was Kosovo Albanian PM Hashim Thaci, with whom Tadić was photographed shaking hands.
Tadić said that the handshake with Thaci "had no historical importance but that it was good because the two peoples had a problem that needed to be solved".

He told Tanjug that if the problem was not solved it would persist and cause suffering to the next generations.

According to the DS leader, politicians are obligated to solve problems and not to make sure that they do not feel uncomfortable.

Tadić met with Croatian President Ivo Josipović and Prime Minister Zoran Milanović this morning and he is scheduled to meet with Croatia’s Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić later today.

He also met with former Slovenian PM Borut Pahor, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, various EU representatives and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon but stressed that they would talk in Belgrade on Sunday.

Serbian officials are not attending the summit due to Thaci’s participation.

“The meeting Tadić was avoiding while he was a Serbian president is happening today,” writes Zagreb-based daily Večernji list reported earlier on Saturday.

“Even though Tadić is a former president, he is still the highest-ranked Serbian politician who is meeting with the Kosovo prime minister at an international gathering,” the daily pointed out.

According to Večernji list, U.S. diplomats were trying to persuade Tadić to come to the first day of the Croatia Summit on Friday but he did not go to Dubrovnik.

Although Serbia was invited, it did not send its representatives to the Croatia Summit. Serbia did not attend the summit in the previous years due to participation of the Kosovo PM.

Aside from Croatian top officials, prime ministers and high officials of the countries of the region, the U.S., EU and NATO are attending the summit.