Plenković: Let Serbia calm down tensions and stop provocations

HDZ Croatia President Andrej Plenković presented the candidates for the VIII electoral unit Parliament today. He addressed journalists, who asked him to comment on the latest escalation of relations between Croatia and Serbia, reports the Patria News Agency.

-I said yesterday in Zadar that the HDZ government will take a principled and firm stance. As a Member of the European Parliament, I have already initiated an initiative for Serbia to amend the controversial law. Such a law is unacceptable to Croatia. We will maintain our position as an EU and NATO country, and if Serbia intends to go in that direction, it must show respect for Croatia and avoid provocations.

We have many mechanisms to protect our national interests. HDZ will not allow Serbia to have a law by which its prosecution can pursue Croatian citizens for criminal offenses committed on Croatian territory against Croatian citizens. This is not universal jurisdiction, it is a hybrid regional jurisdiction unknown in international law, and we will not allow it.

I call on Serbia to calm down tensions and not to engage in provocations. Croatia has a significantly better international position. Our government has included a number of criteria in Chapter 23, unlike the SDP's, although this issue can also relate to Chapters 24 and 31. We will use all mechanisms to resolve this, said Plenković, reports Index.