Ljajic confident Serbia will not lose dispute at ICJ

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Rasim Ljajic believes that Serbia will not lose a dispute with Croatia that started before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague Monday, adding that Serbia does not want to disrupt relations with its neighbor Croatia.

“What remains for us to do now is prepare the best we can. I am confident that we will not lose the dispute and we do not want to disrupt our relations with Croatia, but rather want the best possible relations with all neighbors, including Croatia,” Ljajic has told reporters in Belgrade.

He recalled Serbia's efforts to reach an extrajudicial agreement and Croatia expressed its readiness in principle, but after the deterioration of the situation concerning the Cyrillic alphabet on public signs in Vukovar, eastern Croatia, the Croatian government feared not receiving public support for such a scenario, so the courage was lacking to press ahead with the out of court deal.

Ljajic said that we have arrived to a situation of inevitability of the court dispute, but is confident Serbia will not lose it, adding that he believes it will not affect economic and overall relations between Serbia and Croatia.

Photo Tanjug, T. Valic (archive)