Relationship dossier
Croatia
Serbia
Relationship assessment
Relations marked by unresolved postwar issues and recurring political disputes
Croatia toward Serbia
-30Croatia has conditioned progress in Serbia’s EU accession process on addressing bilateral concerns, including minority rights, war-crimes jurisdiction, and the legacy of the 1990s wars. This has included blocking the opening of accession chapters in 2016.
Serbia toward Croatia
-30Serbia has taken part in bilateral discussions with Croatia on unresolved postwar matters, while disputes over war-crimes jurisdiction, minority rights, and historical issues have continued to strain government relations.
Overall relationship
-25The relationship is shaped by unresolved postwar questions and recurring disputes over minority protections, war-crimes jurisdiction, and historical interpretation. Bilateral engagement and Croatia’s use of Serbia’s EU accession process provide channels for addressing these issues, but have not produced a consistently cooperative relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Croatia–Serbia relations remain burdened by unresolved consequences of the 1990s wars, including missing persons, war-crimes cases, and minority and property issues. Croatia has used Serbia’s EU accession process to press for progress on bilateral concerns, while the two governments have also engaged in bilateral discussions. Cooperation has not overcome recurring political disputes.
Areas of tension
- Croatia’s concerns about Serbia’s war-crimes jurisdiction over crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia
- Protection and political representation of the Croatian minority in Serbia and the Serbian minority in Croatia
- Missing persons and other unresolved consequences of the 1990s wars
- Property and restitution claims arising from the wars
- Disputes over historical interpretation and wartime commemorations
Key developments
Croatia blocked the opening of Serbia’s EU accession chapters, citing unresolved bilateral concerns including minority rights and war-crimes jurisdiction.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of bilateral cooperation on missing persons and postwar issues are unclear.
- The scope of current government cooperation on minority rights and cross-border matters is uncertain.