Serbia’s Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin, commenting on the statement made this week by President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic about Croats and Albanians, told the press in Belgrade on Saturday he regretted that Croatian politicians were "unable to get rid of their complex towards Serbia and Serbs.”

“The only criterion for you to be brothers with Croatia is that you participated in the killing of Serbs. I regret that this is so and that Croatian politicians are unable to find some other way to connect with their surroundings and find some other value to call someone a brother,” Vulin said in his comment on Grabar-Kitarovic’s statement, made during her visit to Albania this week, that Croats and Albanians are “brothers in arms.”

Vulin said that “participating in the killing of Serbs” was not something someone should be proud of. “I regret that this is so and that Croatian politicians are unable to get rid of this deep complex towards Serbia.”

“I am always concerned if this is the only message for the future and the only criterion to become brothers with the Croatian state, people or politics, that you participated in the killing of Serbs,” Vulin said.

During her address to the Albanian Parliament this week, Grabar-Kitarovic referred to “lasting and inseparable friendship” between Croatia and Albania and the role of the Albanian ethnic minority in Croatian society.

“Albania was our friend when we needed it. … We were literally brothers in arms before we joined NATO together in 2009. Many Albanians sacrificed their lives for Croatia and believe me – Croatia will not forget this,” the Croatian president said, referring to the Albanians who had fought in Croatia’s 1991-1995 war of independence.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in response to her statement that “Serbia does not need brothers but friends.”