The Croatian government on Thursday proposed adopting a declaration which says that Serbia has encroached on Croatia's sovereignty by adopting a law declaring its judiciary as having jurisdiction over proceedings for certain crimes committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and called on Serbia to sign with Croatia an agreement regulating issues of jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

"In line with the bill declaring null and void certain legal acts of the judicial authorities of the former Yugoslav People's Army, the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia, we propose that the parliament adopt yet another document, this declaration," Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said.

The draft text of the declaration on some issues of cooperation between the Croatian and Serbian judicial authorities, which was sent to parliament for consideration, reads that by adopting a law declaring its judiciary as having jurisdiction over proceedings for certain criminal acts committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia has expanded its jurisdiction to Croatia's territory, thus encroaching on its sovereignty.

With the aim of ensuring further cooperation, trust and good neighbourly relations, the declaration calls on Serbia to sign with Croatia a legal agreement regulating issues of jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in an integral way and in line with international law.

Deputy Prime Minister Slobodan Uzelac abstained during today's vote on the government's proposal, saying that he supported its objective, but noted that one should "solve problems rather than declare them."

Uzelac said he considered unnecessary both the declaration proposal and the bill declaring null and void Serbian legal acts relating to the Homeland War, adding that they were about "opening a door that is already open."