Forum for International Relations of the European Movement in Serbia strongly condemns recent statements made by Serbia’s high authorities, which once again incite fear and hostility toward our country’s immediate and more distant neighbours, especially those with whom Serbia once shared a common state. Security of every country begins at its borders. It is unwise to pursue a policy that declares distant countries as friends while portraying nearby ones as enemies.
The latest populist remarks by Aleksandar Vučić about an alleged “danger” from neighbouring countries and formation of military axes against Serbia – which is almost entirely surrounded by EU or NATO member states – are primarily aimed at diverting citizens’ attention from deepest and longest-lasting political crisis into which he has led the country and which he is incapable of resolving. Particularly troubling is Vučić’s mention of friendly Slovenia with whom Serbia has bilateral military cooperation agreement since 2015, and which has for years supported Serbia’s accession to the EU. According to practice and positions of the OSCE, bilateral agreements between European countries in the field of military cooperation are considered an important instrument for strengthening mutual trust, predictability, transparency, and continuity of good bilateral relations.
Instead of fostering cooperation with Serbia’s many neighbors, state leadership is fueling a spirit of militarism, country’s isolation, and a sense of danger among citizens, whilst relying on the old populist tactic of preserving power through claims of “foreign conspiracies”. These statements are proof of complete failure of the good neighborly relations policy carried out by the very same individuals who have, during the 1990s, directly participated in policies that led Serbia into most severe isolation and social and economic catastrophe.
Failure of EU integration and the deterioration of relations with neighboring countries are merely two sides of failed foreign policy of the regime that, after thirteen years in power, by mishandling large-scale civic protests is once again leading the country into a dead-end. What kind of foreign policy is this? Essentially, it is short-sighted and isolationist, especially towards closest nations and states.
Through its program “Resetting the Republic”, the Forum for International Relations of the European Movement in Serbia has proposed a set of measures that would, within the framework of fundamental political changes, return Serbia’s foreign policy to its core goals: European integration and good neighborly relations, as key elements for ensuring peace and security for our homeland.
