Serbia Stands Firm on Expulsion, Calls for Evidence of Vienna Convention Breach

The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is challenging the expulsion of a Serbian diplomat by Croatian authorities, calling their claims “incorrect.” In response, they have demanded evidence from the Croatian side to support their decision. This dispute arose after Croatia expelled Petar Novaković, an adviser at the Serbian embassy in Croatia, mirroring Serbia’s expulsion of the first secretary of the Croatian embassy in Belgrade, Hrvoje Šnjader.

Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman has defended his country’s decision to expel Novaković as a matter of choice. The ministry press release stated that Novaković did not violate Vienna Convention provisions and was in Croatia for consular, not political, affairs. They also challenged the notion that he could have violated Vienna Convention provisions within two months of taking office. However, they admitted that evidence supporting Šnajder’s expulsion represents a severe violation of Vienna Convention protocols.

Belgrade media has labeled Šnajder as a spy and suggested that he was recruited to work for the Croatian service. As tensions between the two countries continue to escalate, this latest spat highlights how difficult it can be for diplomats to navigate complex political situations and maintain neutrality in their roles.