Zagreb (BETAPHOTO/EMIL VAS)
Serbia’s decision to recommend its citizens not travel to Croatia in early August is motivated by “internal politics” rather than genuine security concerns, the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs stated on July 30.
“Every country has the right to issue recommendations to its citizens regarding travel abroad in keeping with its own assessments but, in this case, one gets the impression that the recommendations stem primarily from internal political motives and not conclusions based on objective criteria or real security indicators,” the Croatian ministry said.
Based on all relevant indicators, including Eurostat, the ministry went on, Croatia is “one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe and also one of the safest countries in the European Union.”
On July 28, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended all citizens of Serbia “refrain from travelling to Croatia” between August 1 and 10, adding that, should they find themselves in the country during this period, they “avoid gatherings and other public congregations which carry the risk of inflammatory happenings.”
No reasons were offered for the recommendation, although the stated time frame coincides with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Operation Storm, which involved the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Serbs and effectively ended the war in Croatia.
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