Serb National Council (SNV) president Milorad Pupovac said on Tuesday the earthquake that hit the Petrinja brought closer Croats and Serbs who had been divided by the war and that one should give a chance to the new strength which inspired solidarity instead of division.

“This was an opportunity to mark the fact that the horrors of war which divided us, and the horrors of the earthquake which are bringing us closer, are now gaining strength, so we should give a chance to this new strength which inspires solidarity instead of division,” Pupovac told the press.

He said the Serbian Chamber of Commerce would donate €50,000 to Croatia to deal with the effects of the earthquake. Belgrade and the Serbian government have already donated money.

Pupovac said Serbia would also donate construction material and rubber boots.

Asked to comment on media reports that the SNV’s relief was going only to the Croatian Serb earthquake victims, he dismissed them, saying the SNV was distributing relief to all who needed it, including “our fellow citizens of Islamic faith” and Roma communities.

Right now there is no interest in dividing people but in solidarity, he said. “It’s very important to us to put behind us the years of discrimination to which Serbs in the Banija region were exposed and to overcome that through joint efforts in creating a new policy of reconstruction and development in the Banija region.”

Support for opposition’s motion to form inquiry commission

Pupovac said he would support the opposition’s efforts to form a parliamentary inquiry commission for post-war reconstruction in Banija but, he added, there must be no generalising or persecution.

It is necessary to establish who the contractors were, he said.

Pupovac also commented on last night’s meeting of the ruling HDZ presidency which, according to the media, discussed whether the proper name of the region is Banija or Banovina.

He said one should listen to people who had no linguistic prejudices and were not nationalistic about language.

Šuica did the biggest damage to herself and the HDZ

Asked if he took issue with the fact that, according to the media, European Commission Vice President and HDZ presidency member Dubravka Šuica said the region was called Banovina, Pupovac said she did the biggest damage to herself, the party and her office.

He said that arguing about names did not show advantages but weaknesses, and called on everyone to do their job by providing accommodation for those who lost their homes in the earthquake and then devising a reconstruction and development programme.

As for media reports that the HDZ presidency also accused the media of downplaying, together with the opposition, the government’s response after the earthquake, Pupovac said one should cooperate with the media, not make enemies of them.