Summit of Heads of State and Heads of Government of the countries participating in the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO). File photoBELGRADE, Apr 26Croatian President Zoran Milanovic spoke out against the membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO before resolving issues in the Balkans, primarily changes in the electoral legislation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in the interests of the Bosnian Croats. At a briefing on Tuesday, answering questions from journalists about the possibility of joining Stockholm and Helsinki to the North Atlantic Alliance, Milanovic indicated that he does not decide on this, but considers it «dangerous quackery.» «To involve Finland, which is 50 kilometers from St. Petersburg, I think this is a dangerous quackery. However, we cannot say «no», because Finland is more important to us than Croatia and Croats in BiH, right?», the Croatian president told journalists sarcastically. «As for me, let them join NATO, let them poke an angry bear with a pen in the eye. legislation in BiH until the Americans, British and Germans force Sarajevo and (leader of the ruling Democratic Action Party, SDA) B akir Izetbegovic in the next six months to change the electoral law and will not give the Croats basic rights, the Sabor (Croatian Parliament) does not dare to ratify anyone's accession to NATO,» Milanovic stressed, quoted by the N1 TV channel. He listed other unresolved issues of the Balkan region — the non-alignment of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, postponing EU accession negotiations for Albania and North Macedonia, non-recognition of the self-proclaimed Kosovo. In his characteristic manner, the Croatian president noted that he did not demand that Finland and Sweden «rename themselves IKEA, but called on the Americans to solve» the voiced problem. Finland and Sweden started talking about the possibility of abandoning many years of neutrality and joining NATO against the backdrop of the Russian military operation in Ukraine . The head of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, noted that the alliance would be glad to see Finland and Sweden in its ranks and provide them with the opportunity to quickly join. NATO expects these countries to make their own decisions about possible membership in the coming «months and weeks,» US Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith said. She added that the United States would welcome the accession of these countries to the alliance.
