Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman expressed concern and surprise about the decision by Serbia to expel a Croatian diplomat. The decision was seen as unusual given Croatia’s efforts to improve relations with its neighbors. In response, Croatia declared an advisor at the Serbian embassy persona non grata, reciprocating the action.
Grlić Radman pointed out that the reasoning behind Serbia’s decision to expel the Croatian diplomat was not explained, which added to the worry over recent actions destabilizing regional political and security conditions in Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans.
The decision to expel the Serbian diplomat was seen as a reciprocal measure and in accordance with the Vienna Convention. Grlić Radman emphasized that Croatia’s actions were not meant to escalate the situation, but rather to respond to the expulsion in a manner consistent with diplomatic norms.
Regarding another issue, Grlić Radman clarified that there were no Croatian citizens on board a hijacked ship owned by a Japanese company sailing under the Israeli flag.