The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia recommended on Thursday that all non-essential trips to Serbia be postponed due to inappropriate and unfounded treatment of Croatian citizens.
“It is recommended to postpone all trips that are not necessary, be careful, monitor the current situation and provide more detailed information before the trip due to the recorded inappropriate and unfounded actions of the bodies of the Republic of Serbia towards Croatian citizens,” MVEP announced on Thursday afternoon.
Croatian citizens are also advised to avoid places where large numbers of people gather.
MVEP notes that “in case of need, at any time, Croatian citizens have the right to request contact with the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in the Republic of Serbia”, reports Hina news agency.
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman announced yesterday in Davos that the MVEP’s recommendation on travel to the neighboring country will be changed for the protection and safety of Croats. “As far as I can see, security is questionable,” said the head of Croatian diplomacy.
Today, Croatia also sent a note of protest to Serbia because of five Croatian citizens who were unjustifiably arrested and then expelled from Serbia.
Croatian citizens are representatives of non-governmental organizations that participated in workshops organized by Erste Stiftung in Belgrade. Along with the expulsion, Serbia banned them from entering the country for a year.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia will also systematically collect all cases of mistreatment of Croatian citizens in Serbia and inform the European Commission and the Polish Presidency of the EU about this.
