Croatian Ambassador Called to Austrian Foreign Ministry Over Milanović's Statement
ZAGREB, 18 Nov 2021 - Croatia's Ambassador to Austria, Danijel Glunčić, was called to the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday over Croatian President Zoran Milanović's statement about the Austrian coronavirus policy, the Croatian Embassy has confirmed to Hina.
"I can confirm that I was called to the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Ambassador Glunčić told Hina, declining to reveal details of the discussion.
According to a statement from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Glunčić was called over "highly unusual statements by the Croatian president," which were "sharply rejected".
"Comparing the measures against the coronavirus pandemic to fascism is unacceptable. It is our responsibility to protect the citizens of Austria and we are acting accordingly," the Austrian ministry said, as quoted by APA news agency.
"We clearly conveyed our surprise at these statements to the Croatian ambassador in Austria," said Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Austrian media quoted the Croatian president as saying after an audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Monday that the Austrian decision to impose a lockdown on unvaccinated people was "reminiscent of the 1930s" and called it foolish.
On Monday, Austria imposed restrictions on the freedom of movement for people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and those who have not recovered from the disease. These people are allowed to leave their homes only to buy food, visit a doctor or a pharmacy and go to work. Failure to comply with this measure is subject to a fine of up to €1,450.
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COVID-19 in Croatia: Austria Rejects Croatia's Request to Introduce Measures for Certain Areas Only
August 18, 2020 - Austria has rejected Croatia's request to introduce the new travel measure only for certain parts of the country, instead of for the entire country, reported the Austrian news agency APA. A look at the latest news regarding COVID-19 in Croatia.
"This option was considered, but after talks with experts from the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Federal Chancellor and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was decided to issue measures for the whole of Croatia," a spokeswoman for the Austrian Foreign Ministry said for APA, as reported by Index.hr.
The reason for such a decision, as she added, is the fact that Austrians are mobile and they mostly go to Croatia by car, making it hard for them to stay in only one place.
The warning against travel to Croatia has been in force from Monday at midnight. Returnees from holidays in Croatia must show a current negative coronavirus test or undergo testing within 48 hours of being back in Austria.
According to information from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, around 3,000 Austrian citizens were officially on holiday in Croatia at the end of last week. But at the same time, the authorities believe that this figure is many times higher.
In an interview with APA, Croatian Ambassador to Vienna Daniel Gluncic advocated that Austrian authorities issue only a partial warning regarding travel to Croatia.
Croatian Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic also pointed out that the situation in the regions where most Austrian tourists travel is favorable, APA reported.
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