Dacic: Zagreb refused to recall diplomat despite warnings, evidence

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said on Thursday evening a Croatian diplomat in Belgrade had been declared a persona non grata over gross violation of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations and engagement in affairs that were not the job of a diplomat, and noted that Zagreb had failed to do anything about the case despite warnings and evidence of his actions.

"He is not a representative of an intelligence agency but a diplomat, and he cannot engage in anything else but diplomatic affairs. These are documented findings, proven claims and facts that the Croatian side had been notified of some time ago and, as is expected, they should have taken certain steps by themselves, but they did not," Dacic told reporters when asked about Zagreb's comments that Belgrade had provided no explanation for the decision to declare the diplomat a persona non grata.

The move was made after Zagreb refused to recall him, Dacic noted.

He also added that the case was not a matter of reciprocity.

"This is not about reciprocity, but about the fact that someone has violated the Vienna convention," he said.

He explained that a Serbian diplomat who was subsequently expelled by Zagreb had only taken office in September and had done nothing that would warrant being declared a persona non grata.

"Even if he wanted to, I do not believe he had the time to do something in that regard because he did not engage in such affairs, but consular ones," Dacic said, adding that he would like Zagreb to do what Belgrade had done and provide concrete evidence of the Serbian diplomat's activities.