Zagreb Reserves the Right to React to Belgrade’s Decision to Expel Croatia’s Diplomat

Zagreb (BetaPhoto/Emil Vas)

Croatia should not offer “a more harsh” response to Serbia before light was shed on the situation which had led to Belgrade’s decision to declare Croatian diplomat Hrvoje Snajder a persona non grata, Sinisa Hajdas Doncic, the chairman of the Croatian Parliament’s Domestic Policy and National Security Committee, said on Nov. 21.  

“Serbia is already going through an election fever. I hope it has nothing to do with the preparations for elections in Croatia, and mister (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic sometimes tends to behave very oddly,” said Doncic, an MP of the opposition Social Democratic Party. He also said that the Committee would request reports from relevant institutions. “Croatia can react, but take it slowly,” Hajdas Doncic added.

Marko Pavic, an official of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union, has said that the decision to expel a Croatian diplomat has strained relations between Croatia and Serbia. “We believe that those are pre-election tricks of Serbia. We condemn that and reserve the right to act reciprocally,” Pavic said.

Earlier, the Serbian Foreign Ministry said he had declared Hrvoje Snajder, the first secretary at the Croatian Embassy in Belgrade, a persona non grata, over severe violation of diplomatic standards. Croatian media have reported that Snajder has been accused of espionage.  

The Croatian Ministry has told BETA that “it reserves the right to react to this move at the time and the way of its choosing.”