- by croatiaweek
- May 18, 2026
-
in
News
President Zoran Milanović (Photo: Ured predsjednika Republike Hrvatske / Ana Marija Katić)
The Office of the President of Croatia has confirmed that the proposed ambassador of Israel to Croatia has not received approval from President Zoran Milanović and will not be granted consent in the future.
In a statement released on Monday, the President’s Office said it had until now followed standard diplomatic practice by not publicly commenting on proposals from foreign states regarding ambassadorial appointments in Croatia.
According to the statement, Israel broke this unwritten diplomatic rule by publicly announcing the name of its proposed ambassador before official approval had been granted by the Croatian president.
“Guided by good diplomatic practice, the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia has so far not publicly commented on any proposal by a state regarding the appointment of ambassadors to the Republic of Croatia,” the statement said.
The President’s Office added that the proposed Israeli ambassador “has not received, nor will receive, the consent of President Zoran Milanović”, citing the policies of the current Israeli government as the reason for the decision.
The statement stressed that granting or withholding approval for proposed ambassadors is a sovereign right of the Republic of Croatia and falls under the authority of the president.
It also stated that “any public or political pressure”, which it said had come from the Israeli side in this case, would not change the president’s decision.
No further details were provided regarding the proposed ambassador or possible diplomatic consequences following the announcement.
