Following provocative statements made by Serbia's office-holders, Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Tuesday that Croatia was a partner while Serbia must figure out what its priorities are.

Grlic Radman said today that provocations were not conducive to the bilateral relations.

I think that Serbia must first figure out what its priorities are and need to establish good neighbourly relations and Croatia is partner in that field, the minister said, advising Serbia to refrain from provocations.

Following recent incidents in two cafes in Serb-populated villages near Knin, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that “it is understandable” that 30 years ago the largest part of local Serbs launched a rebellion against Croatia’s authorities.

Vucic’s justification of the armed rebellion against the Constitutional and legal order of Croatia prompted Croatia’s foreign ministry to “rejects any attempt of relativizing Serbia’s responsibility for the armed conflict and aggression against Croatia’s state territory, which were the results of the Great Serbia policy of Slobodan Milosevic”.

“This is evidenced by the numerous resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly, ICTY verdicts, as well as the judgement of the International Court of Justice in the case of Croatia’s genocide lawsuit against Serbia and Serbia’s counter-suit,” the ministry said in a press release a few days ago.

“It is precisely such meddling in the internal affairs of a neighbouring country that distinguished between the policies led by Serbia and Croatia. As opposed to such Serbia’s interferences, Croatia is interested in the stability of its neighbourhood and is open to transfer its own experiences during the neighbouring countries’ EU journey,” said the ministry.

It also underscored that “Croatia guarantees the highest level of protection of minority rights and is building a tolerant and inclusive society based on the rule of law and trust among citizens.”

“Instead of manipulating the facts, Croatia calls on Serbia to improve the status of the Croat national minority in the Republic of Serbia, in accordance with the obligations it has assumed, and to scrap the rhetoric aimed at reviving defeated projects that harms the relations between the two neighbouring countries.”

Following the statement made by the Croatian foreign ministry, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic accused Zagreb of hypocrisy.

Grlic Radman said today that Croatia “is a serious member-state (of the European Union) and a factor of stability” and now its priority is to focus on preparations for chairing the EU in the first half of 2020.

As for Croatian Serb leader Milorad Pupovac’s recent claims, Grlic Radman recalls that “representatives of minorities living in Croatia are in the Croatian parliament, Croatia has the best laws for the protection of ethnic minorities.”

I think we should act together in that direction, he added.