Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Thursday stated that the protection of the rights of the Serb minority in Croatia was regulated according to the highest European standards and that the government remained committed to developing a tolerant and conflict-free social climate.

Plenkovic said at a cabinet meeting that the protection of minority rights in line with the highest standards is the legacy of the first Croatian president Franjo Tudjman.

Hence, he added, it is important that everyone in Croatia acts responsibly and and all are supposed to “create an atmosphere that is tolerant and conflict-free”, otherwise, if not curbed, conflicts can turn into a spiral of hate.

He reiterated that his cabinet and the parliamentary majority are pursuing a policy of inclusiveness of all ethnic minorities and of protection of their rights and they want all members of ethnic minorities in Croatia to feel well and safe.

Plenkovic reiterated that the government had condemned recent incidents and also called on political stakeholders to avoid inappropriate and inconsiderate statements.

Plenkovic recalled that Croatia is a reputable country in the international community and its position has never been so strong as nowadays.

“Our policy is aimed at building normal and good-neighbourly relations, resolution of all issues stemming from the period of the Great Serbia aggression launched by the (Slobodan) Milosevic regime, and we are for solving those issues in a civilised manner: through dialogue, talks, negotiations,” Plenkovic said, dismissing again as unacceptable any attempts to compare the contemporary Croatia to the 1941-1945 Independent State of Croatia (NDH).