Leader of Serbian Caucus in Croatian Parliament Milorad Pupovac: U.S. Positively Assesses Croatian Government Moves Towards Serb Minority

Washington, February 5 – Member of Croatian Parliament and leader of Serbian Caucus Milorad Pupovac visited the United States to attend the traditional Prayer Breakfast in Washington and meet with U.S. officials.

During his visit, Pupovac held meeting with the director of the Office for Central and Southern Europe in the U.S. Department of State, Charles English, about the new Croatian government's treatment of the Serb community and about Croatian Serbs' expectations of the government.

"The first steps of the prime minister Ivo Sanader’s cabinet regarding the rebuilding of trust, the new policy towards minorities and integration with NATO and the European Union have been positively assessed and well received," Pupovac said after the meeting.

Pupovac also said that U.S. officials hailed the first moves of the Croatian government towards the Serb minority in Croatia and U.S. financial assistance is expected in the process of the return of Serbs and the development of areas of special state concern.

Pupovac said that at the talks with officials in the U.S. Department of State he had stressed the importance of U.S. support for development projects in Croatia. "The United States is interested in the return of refugees and the development of areas of special state concern," said Pupovac. He said that concrete moves for the restitution and reconstruction of Serb property should follow. He also said that new jobs should be created.

During his stay in Washington, Pupovac also took part in a debate on the strengthening of cooperation in the Balkans, which was organized by the Woodrow Wilson Institute.