INTERVIEW

‘Since the possibility of EU membership is distant, we make an effort to not to neglect Russia and China’

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Serbian Deputy Defense Minister Nemanja Starović, visiting Ankara, spoke to Harici regarding various topics. During an interview with Esra Karahindiba, Starović discussed NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg’s visit to Serbia, his country’s negotiations with NATO and the EU, the Kosovo crisis, and relations with Turkey.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, currently touring the Western Balkans, arrived in Serbia subsequent to his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Organizing a press conference with President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Stoltenberg discussed the ongoing tensions between Serbia and Kosovo and emphasized the crucial role of the Peacekeeping Force (KFOR) in maintaining peace and security in Kosovo.

In response to recent tensions between Serbs, NATO forces, and Kosovo police in northern Kosovo, NATO decided to increase KFOR forces.

Stoltenberg stated, “KFOR guarantees security for all communities.” “We’re pleased that Serbia is coordinating with NATO. I’ve urged both sides to avoid escalating tensions. We also support the creation of the Union of Serbian Municipalities,” stated Vucic.

He added, “We aim to foster better communication with NATO in the upcoming period. Nonetheless, Serbia maintains autonomy in its decision-making regarding army deployment.”

Vucic expressed satisfaction with his country’s relationship with NATO and emphasized its military neutrality.

Serbia and Kosovo have frequently clashed, and Belgrade’s potential accession to the European Union is dependent upon normalized relations with Kosovo.

However, Serbia has balked at imposing sanctions on Russia, despite pressure from the West, while also striving to maintain European ties.

We interviewed Serbian Deputy Defense Minister Nemanja Starović regarding NATO and EU relations, the situation in Kosovo, and his trip to Turkey.

‘We sometimes feel like we are chasing a moving target in the EU accession process’

*Kosovo Albanian administrators accuse the westerners of ‘pacifying’ Serbia. Kosovo, on the other hand, is resisting passing the law on the Union of Serbian Municipalities. Considering the current tensions, what are Serbia’s relations with Kosovo and possible EU membership?

Considering international public law, the provisional regime in our southern province of Kosovo and Metohija is defined by UN Security Council resolution 1244 from the year 1999, pending final solution. We firmly believe that such a solution can be found only through dialogue and it should not be imposed in a unilateral manner. Since 2013, many agreements have been made between Belgrade and Priština with the mediation from the EU, aimed at normalizing relations. However, the other side still rejects implementing the First Brussels Agreement signed more then 10 years ago and establishing the Community of Serbian Municipalities. Furthermore, in the last two years since Albin Kurti became interim prime minister in Priština, we have witnessed a sharp rise of ethically motivated violence against the Serbs living in the province, with more than 400 attacks and other incidents. Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija are the most disenfranchised ethnic group in contemporary Europe. We firmly reject the use of violence, but the real problem nowadays is institutionalized violence against local Serbs conducted by mono-ethnic Albanian special police. That is exactly why we need de-escalation as soon as possible, since it is a common-sense precondition for any progress in the dialogue process.

As for membership in the EU, we remain committed to that strategic goal, fully aware of all the benefits membership will bring to our people. Yet, it doesn’t mean we do not see that the EU itself is struggling with the lack of ‘absorption capacities’ and that any new enlargement is conditioned by necessary institutional reforms in Brussels. We are doing everything in our power to pursue improving our own capacities for future membership in the EU, even if it sometimes feels like chasing a moving target. As that goal still remains fairly distant, we are trying not to neglect our traditional international partners like Russia and China, and explore some new horizons like cooperation with the countries of South-east Asia or the Arab world.

‘There is EU accession fatigue in the public’

*According to opinion polls, support for EU membership in Serbia is currently below 50 percent. But the ultimatums against Belgrade have not stopped. How do you assess the threats from Brussels?

I wouldn’t call them exactly threats, but there is a constant conditioning coming from Brussels, sometimes not in the most constructive way, and that is why a portion of our population suffers from ‘accession fatigue’ of sorts, just like the EU countries experience ‘enlargement fatigue’.

It’s not a secret that 22 out of 27 EU member states have recognized the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence and it’s logical for them to expect us to do the same. Yet, it’s not quite easy to define that as a formal demand, for several reasons. Apart from having 5 non-recognizing member states within the EU, there is always the precedent of Cyprus being admitted to the EU without fully solving territorial issues of their own and nowadays this accelerated path of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to the EU, each with a similar problem, which we do sympathize with. Finally, it has been reiterated so many times by our state leadership that we will never recognize unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo*, even if that would be demanded from us as a precondition for membership in the EU.

‘If Kosovo becomes a UN member, there will be no one who can prevent Kosovo from joining Greater Albania’

*The proponents of Greater Bulgaria, Greater Serbia, Greater Greece, Greater Croatia, and even Greater Macedonia are united in their ambition to wrest territory from their neighbors. But the Albanians’ ambition is not at the level of rhetoric; they are doing a lot in practice. Kosovo is a good example. How do you think Brussels views this ambition?

Well, to be honest, we see from time to time some verbal condemnation of the manifestations of the Greater Albania ideology. However, very few people in major EU capitals are willing to acknowledge that their support for the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo is perfectly serving the goals of Albanian extremists wishing for so-called Greater Albania. To make it simple, if we witness the day when Kosovo* becomes a member of the UN, God forbid, there would be no one in the international community able to prevent Albania and Kosovo from merging into Greater Albania.

‘Joining the EU sanctions regime will hurt Serbia much more than Russia’

*Belgrade does not see NATO membership as a ‘strategic goal’. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will also visit your country during his Western Balkans tour. Are Russia-Serbian relations on the table? Will Serbia continue to refuse to participate in anti-Russian sanctions?

The guiding principles of our foreign policy are political independence and military neutrality and we are very jealously guarding both of them. That may not be an easy task always, but we believe that is the only proper way that pays off in the long run. Having said that, I must also emphasise that we do not perceive NATO as an adversary, but as a partner, since we are engaged in many joint activities within the framework of the Partnership for Peace programme. With many of our neighbors being NATO members, any other approach would be irresponsible.

At the same time, we have a constructive working relationship with Russia, based on a long-standing friendship between our peoples. It’s not a secret that preserving such a relationship has been very challenging in the past two years, since almost all other European countries have joined the sanction regime against Russia. We don’t believe in such an approach and generally refrain from using economic sanctions as a tool of foreign policy, as we know from our own historical experience that economic sanctions always hurt ordinary people. Furthermore, joining the EU sanction regime would hurt Serbia much more than Russia and, unlike EU member states, we are lacking EU safety nets provided by Brussels.

‘Stoltenberg grew up in Belgrade’

*What were the expectations of Stoltenberg’s visit to Serbia and what would be the outcome? What is your evaluation of Stoltenberg’s visit to other Balkan countries?

(The visit has already happened today, so I write in the past tense) The visit of Mr. Stoltenberg to Belgrade is always interesting, since he spent part of his childhood living in our capital. On a more objective note, it was very important, as he reiterated his full respect for our military neutrality and emphasized the value he attaches to partnership between Serbia and NATO. Mr. Stoltenberg’s messages in both Priština and Belgrade were consistent. He repeated the known fact that the so-called Kosovo Security Forces can’t enter the northern, Serbian inhabited region. On top of that, Mr. Stoltenberg firmly and undoubtedly supported the establishment of the Community of Serbian Municipalities and we appreciate that very much.

‘The importance of Serbian-Turkish cooperation for the stability and prosperity of the Balkans is clear’

*Turkey took over command of NATO’s Peace Force in Kosovo (KFOR) last month. How do you evaluate Türkiye’s role in KFOR?

We believe that the role of KFOR is essential for providing a safe and secure environment for all people who live in our southern province, just as it is provided in the mandate given to KFOR by UN SC resolution 1244. With that in mind, we appreciate all contributions given to KFOR by various countries and acknowledge the increased role Turkey has taken recently. We have been given certain assurances by the new KFOR commander coming from Turkey regarding the future conduct towards the local Serbian population and the continued cooperation between KFOR and the Serbian Army and wish to believe it will be fulfilled.

*We know that you have currently been in Ankara, Türkiye? What is your agenda and your negotiations with the Turkish Ministry of National Defense? Can you brief us about your initiatives and reactions to Ankara?

My visit to Ankara comes just several weeks after the successful visit of Turkish MoD Guler to Belgrade. It is within the SEDM (Southeast European Defence Ministerial cooperation), but also a great opportunity to follow up on some of the things discussed recently in Belgrade. We have a deep understanding of a natural, significant role Turkey plays in the Balkans, as an economic and military super-power of the region. On the other hand, Serbia holds the central position on the peninsula, bordering with 8 different countries. These two facts plainly describe the importance of Serbian-Turkish cooperation for the stability and well-being in the Balkans. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have our differences, but I’m really glad that we are always able to discuss them in an open, frank and constructive manner. Above that, I believe there is a higher cause that brings us together and that is our shared commitment to preserving peace and stability in the Balkans. I am particularly happy because I will be able to pay my respects in the Ataturk Mausoleum during my stay in Ankara, because of the example two great leaders, Kemal Pasha Ataturk and King Aleksandar I of Yugoslavia, gave us a century ago. Their friendship and mutual understanding are reflected in the strong ties between our two presidents, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Aleksandar Vučić, who are setting the course of our countries’ cooperation by their own example.

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