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Serbia: Cancellation of Lavrov’s visit convenient for Belgrade

Did Belgrade let out a sigh of relief after the forced cancellation of the visit of the head of Russian diplomacy? This is the view of many political analysts, who see this development as an elegant way out of a very uncomfortable position for Serbia.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Serbia has been acrobatic between East and West. As a candidate country for membership in the European Union, he condemned the war at the UN, but refuses to participate in the sanctions against Moscow.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vuτςi. Welcomed the recent three-year renewal of the agreement on the supply of Russian gas at a very friendly price. On this occasion, Moscow announced the visit of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Belgrade.

But the trip was canceled when Serbia’s neighbors, Montenegro, northern Macedonia and Bulgaria, all members of NATO, banned the passage of the plane carrying the Russian foreign minister from their airspace.

The Serbian president was quick to denounce “an attempt to ban the debate”, revealing that he was overwhelmed by “countless” calls to cancel Putin’s man’s visit.

“I have never seen such hysteria and such coordinated attacks against a small country like Serbia. We do not accept to be part of the herd and this brings headaches to some.”

But, in the opinion of political analysts, this outcome is very convenient for a country that is used to playing on all the boards. Belgrade has been able to abdicate any responsibility for canceling its visit to outraged Moscow, while avoiding the wrath of the European Union.

“Only if it went through a pipeline”

“It’s an elegant way for the Serbian authorities to get out of an embarrassing situation,” explains Nenad Sebek, a foreign policy analyst. “The only way for Lavrov to come was to go through a gas pipeline” …

Analysts say Lavrov’s visit could be an insult to Brussels.

The Serbian press spoke of a possible cancellation of German Chancellor Olaf Solz’s visit to Belgrade, a development that would be a “tragedy”, according to Aleksandar Vucic.

Experienced diplomats believe that Sergei Lavrov’s visit was a challenge on the part of Moscow.

The Russian foreign minister had already been forced to cancel his trip to Switzerland in late February, following the closure of European Union airspace on Russian aircraft. It is unlikely that Moscow believed the plane could cross European skies this time around, says Srecko Djukic, Serbia’s former ambassador to Belarus.

“The main political message of this visit would be the violation of EU sanctions and that they are being violated without consequences,” the Serbian diplomat explained.

Serbia took part in the case “by accepting or taking the initiative for Lavrov’s visit”, the Serbian diplomat continues, who considers such a double game in a time of storm “the opposite of foreign policy”.

Russia and Serbia maintain “brotherly” ties based on a common Slavic and Orthodox identity.

Pro-Russian demonstrations

Belgrade owes money to Moscow for refusing to recognize Kosovo’s independence, which was declared in 2008.

Pro-government media in Serbia present Vladimir Putin as the ideal head of state.

Many Serbs share Moscow’s hatred of NATO, keeping the memory of the 1999 bombings in Belgrade to end the war in Kosovo, and constitute an electoral base that Aleksandar Vucic would not want to dislike.

According to a recent poll, 40% would be satisfied if Belgrade renounced Europe to form an alliance with Russia.

In the same poll, about three-quarters of Serbs believe that Russia “was forced to intervene in Ukraine due to NATO expansion.”

Millions of people around the world demonstrated their support for Ukraine, but in Serbia huge crowds supported the Kremlin, wearing T-shirts with the Russian “Z”.

Nevertheless, Serbia remains highly dependent on the European Union, by far its largest trading partner.

According to Serbian authorities, trade between the Union and Serbia exceeded 30 billion euros in 2021, 14 times higher than trade with Russia.

In the midst of fighting for the cancellation of Lavrov’s visit, Aleksandar Vuτςiτς did not even try to hide Belgrade’s ambivalent stance.

“Serbia must accelerate on the European path, even if it seems contradictory, because it is better for Serbia,” he said. “Does that make a good impression on our heads? Not necessarily, but it’s better for our children.”

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ

Source: Capital

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