TIRANA, November 21 – The Foreign Ministry in Zagreb has condemned Serbia’s decision to expel a Croatian embassy official for an unspecified violation of diplomatic norms, saying that the move threatened regional stability.
The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said on Monday that Serbia’s decision to declare Croatian diplomat Hrvoje Snajder persona non grata was a “step towards the deterioration of mutual relations”.
“We completely reject the basis for the expulsion of the accredited Croatian diplomat,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The decision by the Republic of Serbia represents a step towards the deterioration of mutual relations, as well as the further destabilisation of sensitive regional political and security situations at a time when stability in south-east Europe is of exceptional importance for the whole of Europe,” the statement added.
Serbia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday evening that it had decided to declare Snajder persona non grata “in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention”, which allows states to terminate foreign diplomats’ stays.
“During his professional engagement in the Republic of Serbia, Snajder grossly departed from the framework of diplomatic norms and violated the aforementioned convention,” the ministry said in a statement, without giving details of the alleged violation committed by the Croatian diplomat.
In a reciprocal move, Croatia expelled a Serbian diplomat on Tuesday. “We have decided that the adviser of the Embassy of Serbia in Croatia, Petar Novakovic, should be declared persona non grata in Croatia,” Croatia’s Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said.
“We have decided that the adviser of the Embassy of Serbia in Croatia, Petar Novakovic, should be declared persona non grata in Croatia,” Croatia’s Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said.
Media close to the populist Serbian government said the Croatian diplomat, identified as Hrvoje Snajder, is accused of “spying activities” and “recruiting” of people for Croatian secret services. /argumentum.al
