Croatian Prime Minister responds to Vučić: We do not need permission from NATO or Serbia for cooperation with Kosovo and Albania

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is participating in the European Council session in Brussels today, and before the start, he addressed the media, answering journalists' questions, including those about the statement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Otherwise, Croatia, Albania and Kosovo signed the declaration on strengthening defense cooperation, while Serbia later announced that it would request an urgent explanation from the Foreign Ministries of Croatia and Albania regarding the signed document.

The declaration on strengthening defense cooperation, which was signed by the three countries, caused great attention and furious reactions in Serbia.

Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic called the initiative "provocative," while authorities in Belgrade announced that Serbia was ready to consider cooperation in good faith with Croatia and Albania.

As the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said, "this initiative, which is being carried out without Serbia, but with Pristina, represents an open provocation and gross disregard for the reality on the ground."

Serbian authorities added that they expect an urgent response from Zagreb and Tirana on the real goals and ultimate objectives of this "dangerous military-security game", stressing that Serbia will not allow any unilateral action that could threaten their territorial integrity, the security of citizens and peace in the region.

Read too Tripartite military alliance, MFA reacts: Kosovo is not afraid of Serbia's threats

Vučić later stated that signing this agreement was a violation of the so-called subregional arms control agreement from 1996, and that Croatia and Albania almost certainly did not inform NATO about everything.

"They opened an arms race in our region, it is a difficult situation for us, but we understood their message. And we will protect our country, we will deter them and we will always successfully defend ourselves against any potential aggressor, even such a powerful aggressor," Vučić told Serbian journalists after talks at NATO with Secretary General Mark Rutte.

And today, Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic responded.

"I hope someone will take five minutes to read the text of the agreement between Croatia, Albania and Kosovo," Plenkovic said, adding that these are "ordinary agreements" and that Croatia had no hostile intent.

"We were able to create a document that helps their reform efforts. It is not of a hostile nature. I understand that one has to look for an enemy, but this is not of a hostile nature. Croatia does not need to ask permission for this, neither from Serbia nor from NATO," Plenkovic said from Brussels.

Asked by journalists about the situation in the southwestern Balkans, Plenkovic announced that he would use the European Council session to draw attention to the current situation in the region.

"We need to monitor the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the situation in Serbia. It is time to focus some of our attention on the area that has proven to be a flashpoint in recent years," the Croatian prime minister concluded. /Telegraph/