Serbia and Croatia Maintain Border Blockade

After the dispute over the flow of the refugees escalated into a border dispute between the two countries, Croatia on Friday continued to block freight and some passenger traffic from Serbia while Belgrade still did not allow freight transport from Croatia to enter.

Both countries said they were ready to compromise but there were no signs that the blockades on the border crossings would end soon.

The Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Serbia, AMSS, said that Croatian police on Friday opened the Sid border crossing to passenger traffic but retained the ban on vehicles with Serbian license plates.

It is also said that Batrovci/Bajakovo border crossing remained closed for freight transport except for trucks with perishable goods.

After Serbia protested on Thursday over the Croatian ban on people entering with Serbian passports, Croatian officials have reconsidered the measure but with some restrictions.

Serbian citizens on Friday could reportedly enter Croatia, but only on foot or in a vehicles not carrying Serbian license plates.

Serbian officials said they would not prevent Croatian citizens from entering Serbia but will retain the blockade on freight transport from Croatia until Croatia reopens its borders.

Nikola Selakovic, the Serbian Justice Minister, on Friday said that the EU should "clearly say" that Croatia had undermined Serbia's Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU by closing border crossings.

Ahead of the visit of Johannes Hahn, the EU Enlargement Commissioner, to Serbia on Friday, Selakovic told Belgrade's TV Pink that Croatia had violated several international agreements and that the Belgrade government would protest to Commissioner Hahn.

Starting his visit to Serbia, Hahn...