The meeting of national coordinators for outstanding issues between Serbia and Croatia, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Nemanja Stevanovic and Assistant Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Miroslav Papa, was held in Belgrade today.

The meeting was organized within the framework of regular consultations between national coordinators for outstanding issues of the two countries, with a view to information exchange on the work of inter-state joint commissions in charge of open bilateral issues.

Both sides agreed that solving open issues was of huge importance for the citizens of both countries and for the promotion of overall bilateral relations. Past activities of the joint commissions were analysed at the meeting and new ones agreed aimed at the improvement of the efficiency of work and encouragement of the dynamics of their meetings.

Interlocutors agreed that open issues between the two countries should not affect the process of Serbia's accession negotiations with the EU, but should be addressed bilaterally through established interstate mechanisms.