Former Croatian President, Stipe Mesic told KosovaPress about the friendship with the Albanians, their contribution to the creation of the independent state of Croatia, as well as the turbulent years of agony and the destruction of Yugoslavia. The man who held all senior public positions in Croatia, but also in the former Yugoslavia, spoke about the general situation in Kosovo, negotiations with Serbia, the role of the EU and the US in these negotiations, as well as developments in the international arena and the situation in Ukraine. Mesic, during the interview for KosovaPress, also focused on the former heads of state of Kosovo who are in The Hague, as well as the process of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. Saying that Albanians are always welcome in Croatia, Mesic said that he had shared a prison cell with them, after the "Croatian spring" of 1971, where he was sentenced to one year in prison for participating in protests. https://m.&feature=youtu.be "Albanians are always welcome in Croatia. We have some of them who came from Albania 300 years ago. In Zadar, more than 1/3 of the population is Albanian, their ancestors were born there. We have others who came later and they belong to the rich class in Croatia, but what I want to say about the Albanians is that no Albanian has been on the side of our enemy, none, which means that all the Albanians have been on the side of Croatia. I was also in prison with some Albanians, there were five in total, two of whom were convicted of Croatian nationalism, while three of them were convicted of Albanian nationalism," Mesic said. Mesic shared his memories before the breakup of Yugoslavia, where one of the proposals was the confederation, in which case, as he said, it would be a way out for Kosovo, because as an integral part of the federation Kosovo would become an independent republic with equal rights with other parts. However, he added, such a thing was made impossible by Milosevic, who wanted a greater Serbia. "Milosevic has never agreed on a new political agreement, to the confederate base, and in peace to sign the new agreement for three years, five, eight years, whatever we agreed on, without killing, without destruction. This would be a way out for everyone and for Kosovo too, because Kosovo has been a constitutive element of the federation, just like Vojvodina, meaning six republics and two provinces, but this wasn’t convenient for Milosevic, who wanted a greater Serbia, therefore he did not accept any agreement", stressed Mesic. Regarding his views on Kosovo after 14 years of its independence, Mesic said that work is being done here continuously and that Kosovo is developing. "What I see today in Kosovo, because I often visit Kosovo, is a continuous work. Clearly, people are never completely satisfied, they always want more, better, and that's normal. However, it is a fact that Kosovo is developing… We should be grateful to those who enabled Kosovo to be free, the fighters, but also the citizens who realized that Yugoslavia no longer existed as a federation and that they had the right to independence, which they chose ", said Mesic. Regarding negotiations and mediation by the EU, the former Croatian president said that Europe should be more engaged. He also hopes for American commitment and role, but adds that this will happen when the time comes, due to new hotbeds of crises created in Ukraine and elsewhere. According to him, the talks can succeed only when Kosovo negotiates as a sovereign country with full control over its entire territory. "Europe is not yet fully involved in the talks. It means we still have talks without any success and simply without any major commitment from the EU. I think they are aware that a greater commitment is needed on their part in order for the talks between Kosovo and Serbia to succeed. These talks can succeed when Kosovo is in its entire territory. Kosovo must be sovereign and as a sovereign country with all its territory can negotiate ... I certainly hope in the American role, but when the time comes, because now we have hotbeds of new crises, look at Ukraine, Bosnia, in a way even Montenegro is a hotbed of crisis," Mesic continued. Regarding the crisis in Ukraine, Mesic points out that there was once an agreement between the United States and the former president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, that the Warsaw Pact be terminated, but that NATO must not get near Russia. The problem is, he added, that such an agreement was never signed and as a result there is a crisis today. He thinks that despite the problems and crisis created there, there will be no war. "It is true that Europe has the Ukraine problem, but the question is why. There was an American proposal to the former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, for the Soviet Union to agree to the unification of East and West Germany. One of Gorbachev's conditions was that the NATO pact should not get near Russia, and this meant for NATO not to accept those countries that were members of the Warsaw Pact, because Russia had also accepted the termination of the Warsaw Pact. However, such an agreement was not signed and now we have a situation where the countries that were in the Warsaw Pact are now members of NATO and are approaching the borders of Russia. I consider that this issue will be resolved through negotiations, it can not come to a nuclear war. Whoever thinks that we are facing a big war, I think not, such a thing will not happen," Mesic explained. Speaking about former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders in The Hague, Mesic said he had never heard of the crimes Thaci and others are suspected of, while expressing confidence that justice will prevail. "I know all those people. I know them from the times when they fought for the independence of Kosovo. As far as I am aware, I am not informed about criminal offenses, but there are processes, institutions, and I hope that justice will prevail", said Mesic. The former Croatian president stayed in Kosovo, where he visited North Mitrovica yesterday morning.