Serbia and Croatia have both expended a diplomat from each other, a move that further strains relations between the two former wartime foes and Balkan rivals.
The Serbian Foreign Affairs Ministry declared the first secretary of the Croatian Embassy in Belgrade persona non grata for allegedly stepping outside diplomatic norms during his service. In a reciprocal move, Croatia expelled a Serbian diplomat, Petar Novakovic, on Tuesday.
Croatian diplomat Hrvoje Snajder is accused of spying activities and recruiting people for Croatian secret services. The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs rejected the grounds for the diplomat’s expulsion and called Serbia’s action „a step toward the deterioration of mutual relations.” Tensions between the two Balkan neighbours have been tense since the 1990s Balkan wars, when Serbia-led troops intervened in Croatia, leading to the defeat of Belgrade and the expulsion of ethnic Serbs.
CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE NEWS
Serbia and Croatia Expel Each Others’ Diplomats
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