ZAGREB, March 18, 2019 – Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović on Monday declined to comment on the situation in Serbia, which has been shaken by anti-government protests, saying that the destabilisation of that country could destabilise the entire region.
“They are Serbia’s internal affairs and I do not want to interfere. However, I don’t want to see the destabilisation of the entire region, and the destabilisation of Serbia would certainly result in the destabilisation of other countries,” Grabar-Kitarović told the press on the margins of an investment conference in Zagreb.
“This is not an ideal time for Southeastern Europe and we should be very careful when it comes to relations between countries, including the relationship between Croatia and Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the president said.
The protests in Belgrade over the weekend saw demonstrators storm the headquarters of the RTS public broadcasting service, surround the Presidency building and clash with the police. They ended on Sunday evening with an ultimatum issued to the authorities to release the protesters by 3pm on Monday who were arrested for invading the RTS building.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said in an interview with the Pink commercial television network on Sunday evening that “violence will not go unpunished anymore.”
More news about relations between Croatia and Serbia can be found in the Politics section.
