Serbian President Boris Tadic has said that The Hague guilty verdicts for two Croatian generals are not a reason for anyone to gloat or to endanger the safety of Serbs in Croatia.

In the aftermath of the verdict that sentenced Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac to 24 and 18 years in jail for war crimes against the Serb population, Tadic warned against possible negative repercussions.

"It is not a time for anyone to gloat. Also, any revenge-taking that would endanger the safety of Serbs in Croatia would be inappropriate and unacceptable. I sincerely hope that this will not happen," Tadic told the Serb press.

He added that facing the truth must be a moment to see oneself in other people's suffering.

"The moment when we realise that the suffering that someone else has gone through - someone else who is not a part of our peoples, faith or customs - was extremely difficult and that is why it must never be repeated," Tadic said.