ZAGREB, April 27, 2018 – Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić has said that Serbia doesn’t want its relations with Croatia to continue as they are now but that Belgrade is prepared to respond with reciprocal measures to any further steps by Zagreb in order to protect the country’s dignity.
Talking on the country’s national television (RTS), Dačić, who is also First Deputy Prime Minister, said that Serbia’s steps toward Croatia were provoked and underscored that Serbia would respond in kind if Croatia decided to recall its ambassador from Serbia. He noted, however, that there was “no reason whatsoever for that.”
“We don’t want our relations with Croatia to head in that direction and our actions were provoked. We have used the same wording that the Croatians used in their note. Their actions are outside the bounds of acceptable diplomatic behaviour,” Dačić said.
He said that “Croatia’s note was sent in an unusual way,” by fax and electronic mail to Serbia’s embassy in Zagreb, and that Serbia reciprocated in kind. “We are prepared to reciprocate to every move. We have to react to protect the dignity of our country,” Dačić added.
“As a member of the EU, Croatia should act in such a way to set an example for others and not provoke conflicts,” Dačić said in the interview, adding that it was “unlikely” that Croatia would block Serbia on its European pathway or the opening of new policy chapters in its EU entry talks, expected in June. “No country will show understanding for such relations and Croatia can’t count on anyone’s support,” Dačić is convinced.
Serbia needs to continue with its policies because the EU is interested in the entire region being part of Europe, Dačić said, adding that this would be the EU’s greatest achievement.
It is still unclear what the reaction of Croatian government to the latest Serbian moves will be.
