The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is contesting the claims made by Croatian authorities regarding the expulsion of a Serbian diplomat, stating that they are incorrect. In response, they have demanded evidence from the Croatian side to support their decision. This disagreement arose after Croatia expelled Petar Novaković, an advisor at the Serbian embassy in Croatia, and mirrored Serbia’s expulsion of the first secretary of the Croatian embassy in Belgrade, Hrvoje Šnjader.
Amidst questions from journalists about Croatia’s decision to expel a higher-ranking diplomat in retaliation, Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman stated that it was a matter of choice. The ministry press release asserted that Novaković did not violate Vienna Convention provisions and was in Croatia for consular affairs, not political ones. Additionally, they challenged the notion that he could have violated Vienna Convention provisions within two months of taking office. However, according to the press release, Šnajder’s expulsion is based on evidence representing a severe violation of Vienna Convention standards.
Belgrade media has labeled Šnajder as a spy and suggested that he was recruited to work for the Croatian service.