President Zoran Milanovic said on Sunday that a conclusion on non-cooperation in proceedings against Croatian military commanders adopted six years ago was still in force and that a letter of request from the Bosnian Prosecutor's Office was sabotage and a poisoning of relations.

The Croatian Justice Ministry has confirmed receiving the letter from the Bosnian Prosecutor’s Office to take over the prosecution of 14 Croatian Army generals suspected by Bosnia and Herzegovina of war crimes allegedly committed during the 1995 Operation Flash.

Speaking to the press in Sinj ahead of the 306th Sinjska Alka lancing tournament, Milanovic said the technical problem of “will we cooperate or not” was much smaller than the fact that such indictments were arriving and that such investigations were being conducted.

He said he had known about the indictments for some time and that Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic did too, but would not say why he had communicated that in public instead of the government.

Milanović said the no-cooperation conclusion he adopted as prime minister at a cabinet meeting in 2015 was valid until the incumbent government revoked or changed it. “Perhaps the prime minister, keeping that in mind, didn’t think it necessary to comment on it, but I find it necessary, because it’s a sort of sabotage.”

“It’s a poisoning of relations between two states,” he added.

Milanović also commented on the national COVID crisis management team’s rejection of Sinj Mayor Miro Bulj’s request for a relaxation of COVID rules on the day of the Alka tournament.

“The fact is that there are 500 of us here without any supervision. On the other hand, it’s not bad for the measures to last a few more weeks for the sake of the impression Croatia leaves because of the tourist season. There are many illogical and silly things about this in all of Europe and we have to fit in a little. I’d be patient a while longer.”