Modern Foreign Policy of Serbia: Eu or Russia?

The main directions ofSerbia’s foreign policy were formed under very difficult conditions.Belgradedeclared the pro-European vector of foreign policy aimed at integration, but at the same time Serbia-EU relations are not well developed and some problems complicated the situation: lack of the cooperation with the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the problem of Kosovo independence. The difficulty of the first problem is connected with the lack support among Serbian for the cooperation with the ICTY. Despite the fact that the authorities of the country have cooperated with the ICTY,Serbiastill has supporters of the policies of S. Milosevic, who, of course, oppose such cooperation. The extradition of criminals to an international tribunal is considered as national humiliation. Another painful point in the relationship betweenSerbiaand the EU is the problem of independence of Kosovo. The EU is in favor of normalizing relations betweenBelgradeand Pristina; forSerbia, this means giving up its claim to Kosovo. A corresponding document was signed under the patronage of the EU representatives for normalize relations between two sides. At the same time, the EU is trying to engageSerbiain cooperation through a number of initiatives aimed to preparing for integration. These initiatives were primarily aimed at financing the necessary reforms.Since the 2000s, the influence of theRussian Federationin the region has increased, andSerbiahas been the most “sensitive” country to Russian policy. TheRussian Federation, in contrast to the EU, does not have such a strong economic influence, but seeks to compensate with rhetoric about a common historical past, cultural and religious ties. The Orthodox Church has a special role in the development of bilateral relations. It is emphasised on the common religion. In addition,Russiasupports the Serbian position on the Kosovo issue. It is very important because theRussian Federationis a member of the UN Security Council and can use the right of veto in favor ofSerbia. At the beginning of the 21st century,RussiaconsideredSerbiaas a transit country for energy supplies toEurope, considering this fact, invested heavily in the country's energy sector, but South Stream remained unrealized. If it is considered the volume of trade between the two countries, then of course, energy trade prevails.