Serbia declares Croatian diplomat persona non grata

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbia on Monday declared Croatian diplomat Hrvoje Snajder, first secretary at the Embassy of Croatia in the nation’s capital of Belgrade, persona non grata.

It said the decision was made under Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

''During his professional engagement in the Republic of Serbia, Snajder grossly departed from the framework of diplomatic norms and violated the said convention. A diplomatic note has been presented to Croatian Ambassador Hidajet Biscevic,'' said the ministry.

It said it regrets Snajder’s behavior in the past did not contribute to the improvement of relations between Serbia and Croatia.

''The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia expresses the expectation that the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Croatia will work together to build mutual trust, with the goal of achieving a common European future,'' it said.

Serbia and Croatia will work to build mutual trust, with the goal of achieving a common European future, said the ministry.