Zoran Milanovic (BETAPHOTO/HINA/Slavko VUKADIN)
Israel’s ambassador to Croatia Gary Koren was summoned on March 6 for talks in Croatian President Zoran Milanovic's office because of a statement in which he called on Croatia to sever diplomatic relations with Iran, the Croatian president’s press office said.
According to the statement, the president’s adviser for foreign and European policy Neven Pelicaric warned the Israeli ambassador that his statements calling on Croatia to break off diplomatic relations with Iran and check the staff of the Iranian embassy - whom he said included members of the Revolutionary Guard tasked with gathering intelligence and supporting terrorism - were “unacceptable and harmful to bilateral relations”.
“Croatia is a safe country, and the Israeli ambassador’s public claims are not supported by any evidence and only groundlessly and unnecessarily alarm Croatian citizens and cause political and reputational damage to the Republic of Croatia,” the press office said in a release, adding that it was in Croatia’s best national interest to preserve its status as a safe and peaceful country because its economy, particularly tourism, largely depended on it.
The Israeli ambassador was called upon to “refrain from any statements that could harm Croatia” in the future. “Croatia does not allow its ambassadors to interfere in political processes in the countries where they are accredited, and therefore will not allow such interference by foreign ambassadors and diplomats in the Republic of Croatia, just as it does not allow interference in the relations of the Republic of Croatia with third countries,” the presidential press office said.
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