The Serbian BIA has claimed to have discovered an attempt by a Croatian diplomat to establish an agent network in Belgrade. According to Alo.rs, the diplomat allegedly reached out to individuals in politics, business, and the media. The Serbian authorities reportedly monitored the diplomat’s activities for a long time before taking appropriate action based on the evidence they gathered.
Novosti.rs reports that the charges against the Croatian diplomat refer to “documented espionage and recruitment to work for the Croatian service.” However, no additional information or sources were provided to support these claims. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia declared Hrvoj Šnajder, the first secretary of the Croatian Embassy in Belgrade, persona non grata in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic-Consular Relations.
Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman expressed surprise at this move, stating that he should understand the situation. Meanwhile, Hidajet Biščević, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Republic of Serbia, refrained from commenting on this case, citing its sensitivity and stating: “Even if I knew what he did, I wouldn’t say anything because it’s outside my frame.”