Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has updated its travel advisories for Croatia and North Macedonia, lifting all advisories for both countries.
For Croatia, the ministry lifted its Level 1 advisory (“Exercise Caution”) that had been issued for parts of Sisak-Moslavina County, Karlovac County, Lika-Senj County, and Split-Dalmatia County. Landmines laid during the Croatian War of Independence from 1991 to 1995 had remained in these areas, and in 2023 there were casualties involving a hunter in a mine-contaminated area as well as a fatality during demining operations. The decision follows the Croatian government’s announcement on February 27 that demining operations had been completed throughout the country after it continued clearance work.
For North Macedonia, the ministry lifted its Level 1 advisory for municipalities in the north (excluding the capital, Skopje), northwest, and west. The affected municipalities were Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Aracinovo, Cucer-Sandevo, Studenicani, and Sopiste in the north; Jegunovce, Tearce, Zelino, Tetovo, Brvenica, Bogovinje, and Vrapciste in the northwest; and Gostivar, Mavrovo-Rostuse, Debar, Centar Zupa, Struga, and Vevcani in the west. These areas have large ethnic Albanian populations. In 2001, armed clashes erupted between the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army (NLA) and government security forces, with fighting at one point reaching the outskirts of Skopje. Since the Ohrid Agreement was concluded in August of that year, a system has been established to resolve conflicts of interest between the two ethnic communities through democratic procedures, including the customary formation of coalitions between Macedonian and Albanian political parties. Although incidents rooted in ethnic divisions occurred, including the shelling of a government building in October 2014 and an attack on a border police station by an armed group in April 2015, no armed clashes caused by interethnic tensions have occurred for more than 10 years, and the situation has remained stable, leading to the lifting of the advisory.
As a result, all travel advisories for Croatia and North Macedonia have now been lifted.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that the possibility of terrorist attacks cannot be ruled out even in countries and regions not subject to travel advisories. It encourages travelers to register with the “Tabi-Regi” travel registration service and, for stays of three months or longer, to submit a residence notification.
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