Croatian diplomat in Belgrade declared persona non grata - Serbian MFA

BELGRADE - The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided on Monday to declare Croatian diplomat Hrvoje Snajder persona non grata in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic and consular relations.

Snajder is first secretary at the Croatian embassy in Belgrade.

"During his professional engagement in the Republic of Serbia, Snajder has grossly gone beyond diplomatic norms and breached the said Convention. A diplomatic note has been presented to the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia, Hidajet Biscevic, for that reason," the MFA said in a statement.

It expressed regret over the diplomat's past actions and said they did not contribute to advancement of Serbia-Croatia bilateral relations, good-neighbourly cooperation and overall bolstering of the level of peace and stability in the region.

The ministry also expressed the expectation Serbia and Croatia would be working together on building mutual trust with a view to achieving a joint European future.