Croatia's prime minister Zoran Milanovic has cancelled a planned trip to Serbia, protesting Belgrade's failure to distance itself from comments made by Serbian nationalist leader who was recently released from a UN war crimes tribunal.
"I would have gone (to Belgrade) but for the recent events," said Milanovic, referring to comments made by Vojislav Seselj, a Serbian nationalist politician who was freed from a war crimes tribunal to receive cancer treatment.
On his return, Seselj was greeted by over 5,000 supporters as he vowed to overthrow “Serbian traitors” who had “become servants of the West.”
Croatia had previously called on the European Union to condemn Seselj's statements and from Serbia to distance itself from his comments, with Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Puic saying, "his wild outbursts are setting back relations in the region."
The European Parliament subsequently called on Serbian authorities “to investigate whether Mr Šešelj has violated Serbian law and to fully apply the legislation outlawing hate speech, discrimination and incitement to violence” and requested the UN tribunal "take measures to re-examine the existence of requirements for provisional release under new circumstances."
"I would have gone (to Belgrade) but for the recent events," said Milanovic, referring to comments made by Vojislav Seselj, a Serbian nationalist politician who was freed from a war crimes tribunal to receive cancer treatment.
On his return, Seselj was greeted by over 5,000 supporters as he vowed to overthrow “Serbian traitors” who had “become servants of the West.”
Croatia had previously called on the European Union to condemn Seselj's statements and from Serbia to distance itself from his comments, with Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Puic saying, "his wild outbursts are setting back relations in the region."
The European Parliament subsequently called on Serbian authorities “to investigate whether Mr Šešelj has violated Serbian law and to fully apply the legislation outlawing hate speech, discrimination and incitement to violence” and requested the UN tribunal "take measures to re-examine the existence of requirements for provisional release under new circumstances."