Plenković: We don't fall for Vučić's provocations

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić's call on all Serbs to display the Serbian flag today is a provocation for which the Croatian government will not fall, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday, commending the stand of SDSS president Milorad Pupovac and Deputy PM Boris Milošević.

"I'd say once again very strongly that those are actions which, from our point of view, have no other point than a sort of provocation towards all neighouring countries, notably Serbia's immediate neighbours," he told the press.

Plenković said he had been deliberately responding  in the same way for yearsto provocations from Serbia because their goal was to elicit a vehement response from the Croatian government or "bring representatives of the Serb minority into a situation in which they have to take a position."

"We don't fall for provocations but build the best relations possible, aware of all the difficult legacies of the past and the burdens. We want to go towards the future in a constructive and smart way," he said, adding that it was "very important that people in Croatia understand that this is how we deal with those issues."

Plenković said the easiest way was to respond vehemently, but that did not solve any problem. "We can only deepen the distrust, disrupt relations, cause consequences at the local level."

Vučić called on all Serbs to display the Serbian flag on Serbian Unity, Freedom and National Flag Day, which is observed on 15 September.

Pupovac, president of the SDSS (Independent Democratic Serb Party) and the Serb National Council, said on Friday it was imperative that Serbs in Croatia respected Croatian law, which bans the display of other states' flags.

Plenković said the SDSS stand was reasonable, intelligent, wise and smart, and that "in the end, it's been agreed with us."

"I think we are showing a lot of maturity here. It will be so in future as well," he said, adding that he was glad to have consulted Pupovac and Milošević yesterday.

Issues pertaining to the Serb minority in Croatia are dealt with by parliamentary majority, he said.

Text: Hina

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