Tadic and Josipovic began talks on further normalisation of relations and resolution of the outstanding issues between Croatia and Serbia. The two presidents began talks in private and were later to be joined by state delegations.

Among the outstanding issues are the fate of missing persons from the 1991-1995 war, the disputed border on the Danube River, the return of refugees to their prewar homes and of cultural treasures, and protection of the minorities.

At their earlier meetings the two presidents condemned war crimes committed on all sides, expressed regret over innocent victims, and stressed the need for renewed trust so that the two governments could deal with the outstanding issues more easily and quickly.

Tadic's visit is his second in a month. Earlier in November, he and Josipovic visited Vukovar and Paulin Dvor near Osijek.

In Vukovar, Tadic apologised for the massacre by Serb forces of 200 Croatian prisoners of war and civilians on the Ovcara farm, outside Vukovar, on November 20, 1991. In Paulin Dvor, where Croatian soldiers killed 18 Serb civilians and an ethnic Hungarian, Josipovic said there was no statute of limitations for war crimes and that Croatia would prosecute all war crimes regardless of who had committed them.

Josipovic and Tadic first met in the northern Croatian Adriatic resort of Opatija in March. In July, Josipovic made an official visit to Belgrade and Subotica, where he met with representatives of the Croatian national minority living in Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina.