The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia has expelled Croatian diplomat Hrvoje Šnajder, the first secretary at the Croatian Embassy in Serbia. The reason given was that he had “roughly stepped out of the diplomatic framework”. This decision was met with regret by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, which rejected the grounds for expelling an accredited Croatian diplomat.

According to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, this move represents a step towards deteriorating mutual relations and destabilizing sensitive regional political and security situations. They are particularly concerned about the impact on employees of the Croatian embassy in Belgrade, especially during the pre-election period in Serbia. In response, they reserve the right to respond to this move at their discretion.

The statement from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs expressed disappointment that an anticipated escalation of relations between Serbia and Croatia was realized with a drastic decision to expel diplomats. They are also concerned about how this decision may affect stability in South-Eastern Europe as a whole.