Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has condemned statements by Serbian officials that Zagreb is supporting anti-government protests in Serbia, describing them as "fabricated theses" and part of political disinformation.
His reaction came after the Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Brnabic, declared that students organizing anti-government protests in Belgrade are receiving "the greatest support from abroad, precisely from Zagreb," claiming that Croatia has a strategic interest in overthrowing President Aleksandar Vucic.
Plenkovic rejected these accusations, saying that Croatia does not interfere in Serbia's internal processes.
"This is a fabricated thesis that has been repeated for a long time and clearly shows the depth of the political crisis that Serbia is experiencing," he declared after the HDZ leadership meeting.
He added that some political circles in Serbia are trying to shift attention from domestic problems through accusations against Croatia.
In his reaction, Plenkovic also mentioned the "Hippodrom" affair in Zagreb, where the former director of the city's sports institution, Kosta Kostanjevic, was sentenced to prison after admitting involvement in a corruption and bribery scheme.
Meanwhile, Brnabic stated that she does not understand how some citizens of Serbia "fight for the strategic interests of Croatia," suggesting that critics of the government should leave Serbia if they disagree with the situation in the country.
Plenkovic responded by emphasizing that many Serbian citizens are choosing to work seasonally in Croatia and that their number is increasing.
The Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Gordan Jandroković, also described Brnabić's statements as "completely meaningless," adding that Serbia should focus more on developing its economy.
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