Sanctions over Jasenovac Resolution: Croatia Declares Mandić, Bečić, and Knežević Persona Non Grata

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia sent a note to the Embassy of Montenegro in Zagreb today, informing Montenegro that Croatia has declared the President of the Montenegrin Parliament Andrija Mandić, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić, and Member of Parliament and leader of the Democratic People's Party Milan Knežević undesirable in that country, due to, as they stated, the systemic violation of good neighborly relations with the Republic of Croatia, and the continuous misuse of Croatia for internal political purposes.

"The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs regrets that the majority in the Parliament of Montenegro has decided to ignore the continuous calls of the Republic of Croatia not to take steps that could negatively affect our bilateral relations and Montenegro's European path. In this context, the actions of the aforementioned political officials stand out particularly, and their conduct cannot in any way be considered well-intentioned and good-neighborly towards the Republic of Croatia, nor is it in line with Montenegro's declared goal of membership in the European Union," the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs stated.

Good neighborly relations are, as they state, one of the key elements of the enlargement process, as well as the stabilization and association process, and one of the key criteria for assessing progress in Montenegro's accession process, in accordance with the European Union's negotiating framework for Montenegro.

"Croatia supports a European Montenegro, supports the accession process to the European Union, and has advocated for progress on Montenegro's European path. The Republic of Croatia expects Montenegro to behave in accordance with European values and in the European spirit, and to focus its efforts on further fulfilling the conditions and criteria in the accession process," they concluded in the statement.

The Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman emphasized that Mandić, Bečić, and Knežević are individuals who have damaged the good neighborly relations between Montenegro and Croatia.

"First of all, I would say that it is our sovereign assessment of whom we want to declare undesirable in Croatia. And I think that these individuals whom we have declared undesirable have deserved it, because they have worsened the relations between Montenegro and Croatia," he said.

As he stated, Croatia has supported all of Montenegro's activities on the path to the EU so far.

"And then, the very next day, they took an action that does not contribute to good neighborly relations. Montenegro has shown through this act, about which it was warned, that it clearly does not care about relations with Croatia," Grlić Radman emphasized.

He also said that Croatia does not plan to block Montenegro's European path, nor does it want to.

"Blocking is usually not a European value, it is an instrument that is avoided, but there are always other mechanisms to influence certain decisions. Montenegro must fulfill certain criteria for certain procedures to be completed, and Croatia comes in with our criteria, because they still have to answer some working questions," he pointed out.

He believes that the time has come for Montenegro to turn to the rule of law and pro-European values.

The ban on entry into Croatia for two high-ranking Montenegrin officials and a member of parliament is a consequence of the adoption of the resolution on the genocide in Jasenovac, which was adopted in the Montenegrin parliament on June 28.

Croatia's sharp response, including this form of sanctions, has been foreshadowed for weeks, as well as earlier, with numerous warnings and calls to abandon the adoption of the multiply harmful resolution. The decision to propose, and then adopt, the resolution on Jasenovac is a political response to the resolution on the establishment of the International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide in Srebrenica, which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Croatian officials have repeatedly stated that they believe that the Montenegrin government and parliamentary majority are politically instrumentalized by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. Regarding the decision to ban entry into Croatia, the leader of the Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić commented.

"If I understand correctly, I have been declared undesirable because MPs from the party I lead voted for the resolution on Jasenovac. However, there are other party leaders who voted and are members of the government, so there are clearly no criteria. There is politics, as in previous decisions by some other neighbors," Bečić stated, among other things.

The President of the Democratic People's Party, Milan Knežević, also commented on Croatia's decision.

"So, my grandfather Milan, after whom I am named, died in vain on St. George's Day in 1945, liberating Karlovac from the Ustaše and Nazis," Knežević wrote on social network X.

It seems, he says, that they won, and we lost.

"PS. My wife will kill me, our reservation for Rovinj is ruined," Knežević concluded.

Reactions from the opposition are also emerging.

"An EU member and a friendly country to us, Croatia, has declared the leaders of the new government and parliamentary majority undesirable. That is all that is needed to know about the character and essence of the current repackaged and clumsily disguised ruling elite," said the leader of the Social Democrats, Damir Šehović.

Thus, he adds, after only two days since its formation, the mantra of the European and reconciliatory character of the newly formed government has collapsed like a house of cards. He points out that now those who did not even belong in such a government, but who, to the astonishment of civil Montenegro, jumped into it solely for the sake of positions, realize what bad political company they have fallen into.

"Speaking of company, I expect the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ervin Ibrahimović, to explain to our friends in Croatia that his coalition partners are actually good guys," Šehović concluded.

(N. Kovačević)