ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia on Thursday declared three senior Montenegrin government officials persona non grata after they led a declaration in Montenegro's parliament stating that genocide was committed in a World War II concentration camp operated by a pro-Nazi Croatian regime at the time.
Croatia's Foreign Ministry informed neighboring Montenegro in a diplomatic note that the country's parliament speaker, Andrija Mandic, lawmaker Milan Knezevic and Vice Premier Aleksa Becic are now unwelcome in the European Union nation.
Montenegro's parliament recently passed a declaration on “genocide” in the Jasenovac prison camp in Croatia, where tens of thousands of ethnic Serbs, Jews and anti-Nazi Croats perished during the war.
Zagreb said the passing of the resolution was “unacceptable, inappropriate and unnecessary" with the intention “not to build a culture of remembrance" but to exploit the "memory of the victims of Jasenovac for short-term political goals."
Croatia was run by a pro-Nazi puppet regime during WWII. After the war, Croatia became part of a Communist-run Yugoslavia together with several other Balkan nations, including Montenegro. Yugoslavia broke up in a war in the 1990s.
The WWII camp issue came into focus after Montenegro supported a United Nations resolution commemorating the genocide in Srebrenica, a 1995 slaughter of some 8,000 Bosniak Muslims by the Serb forces.
That resolution has angered Serbia, a country that holds considerable sway in Montenegro, where about a third of the population of 620,000 declare themselves as ethnic Serbs.
The three pro-Serb and pro-Russian Montenegrin officials then demanded that the country's parliament also pass a declaration condemning the Jasenovac massacre.
“Their actions cannot in any way be considered as well-intentioned and in good neighborly spirit, nor it is in line with Montenegro's path toward (membership) in the European Union,” said Croatia's foreign ministry statement.
Montenegro is seeking EU entry after joining NATO in 2017 in defiance of Russia and Serbia. This week Montenegro reshuffled its pro-EU government to include pro-Serb and pro-Russia parties, which sparked U.S. concerns.
In this Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 photo, Montenegro parliament speaker Andrija Mandic, left, and lawmaker Milan Knezevic attend a press conference in Podgorica, Montenegro. Croatia has declared three senior Montenegrin government officials persona non grata after they led a declaration in Montenegro's parliament stating that genocide was committed in a World War II concentration camp operated by a pro-Nazi Croatian regime at the time. (AP Photo/Risto Bozovic, File)
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — J.T. Miller scored 2:09 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks got their first win of the season, beating the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Thursday night.
Teddy Blueger and Quinn Hughes had goals for Vancouver (1-1-2), with Kevin Lankinen stopping 26 shots.
Anton Lundell got his fourth goal in the last three games for Florida (3-2-1) and Jesper Boqvist also scored for the Panthers, who got 30 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky.
Florida remained without forwards Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness).
Canucks: Scoring first hasn't been an issue for Vancouver, which has taken the first lead in three of its four games so far. But Miller's score saved the night for the Canucks, who improved to 2-8-0 in their last 10 games in the state of Florida.
Panthers: Mackie Samoskevich got an assist on Florida's first goal, the first career point for the 24th pick in the 2021 draft out of Michigan. It came in his 13th NHL game.
Hughes' goal at 6:30 of the second period for a 2-1 Vancouver lead was one that Florida said shouldn't have counted. Linesman Michel Cormier dropped the puck for a faceoff, but it never hit the ice and bounced off Vancouver's Nils Aman. The Panthers thought that should be a hand pass. The NHL disagreed and Aman got an assist on Hughes' score.
Lundell has stepped up in a big way with Barkov out of the lineup. He's got four goals in a three-game span for the first time and his three-game goals-coring streak ties a career best.
Both teams are back in action Saturday, Vancouver going to Philadelphia and Florida remaining home to face Vegas in a matchup of the last two Stanley Cup winners.
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Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger (53) is congratulated by teammates after he scored during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Vincent Desharnais (73) and Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Jesper Boqvist celebrates after he scored during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) slams Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) into the boards during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) attempts a shot against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell celebrates a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) shoots and scores against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Vancouver Canucks left wing Nils Hoglander (21) attempts a shot at Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger (53) and Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis (26) fight during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) deflects a shot during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
