PM says ultimatums lead nowhere

Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said on Monday that ultimatums made by the protesting war veterans in talks with the government were not good and lead nowhere, but added that he would continue to be patient and persistent.

After opening the Knezevi Vinogradi-Zmajevac lateral canal in eastern Croatia, Milanovic was asked to comment on the latest ultimatum set by the protesting veterans for the PM to appoint a new negotiator who would replace Veterans' Minister Predrag Matic. Milanovic said that regardless of his other duties, he was making maximum effort, and added that veterans were important, but that most of their problems were inherited from the previous governments.

He said that a share of the veteran population had not been appropriately provided for and that some of those people had been left to shift for themselves, adding that some of the veterans' demands could be resolved very quickly.

The PM declined to comment on veterans' claims that people who had been involved in the military aggression against Croatia now enjoyed financial benefits from the state budget, saying only that even if that were true, he and his ministers did not make it happen.

A large part of those problems have been inherited (from the previous governments). I can accept criticism that there was some ineptness on our part, we can maybe fix some things, but I cannot be held accountable for what was systematically neglected over the past 15-20 years. I will need more time and the citizens' confidence, but that will depend on all Croatian citizens, Milanovic said.

Milanovic was also asked to comment on statements by Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) president Tomislav Karamarko who criticised the government for not sending anyone to Sarajevo on the occasion of Pope Francis's visit to Bosnia.

The PM said that the pontiff's visit to Bosnia was very important, adding that a month and a half ago he had sent a letter to the Vatican secretary of state, suggesting that during his visit to Sarajevo the pope should address the Croat people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and call on them to remain and build their homes there.

That was not done, I don't want to speculate about the reasons, but I believe this would have been good for the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is the way I think about our people and try to be with them, not only during election campaigns, when I need a candidate. That is my comment, the rest I will not comment on because it is not worth it, Milanovic said.

(Hina) its

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