27 October 2010 - NATO INTEGRATION, KOSOVO TOP AGENDA OF PARLIAMENTARIANS’ VISIT TO SERBIA

Realism and pragmatism were at the heart of the current government’s approach to NATO, the delegation heard. Serbian parliamentarians and defence officials alike emphasized how the NATO debate in Serbia was still very emotional, marked by the 1999 Kosovo air campaign, which left Belgrade with scars still visible today. Public support for NATO membership was low, at 20-25%. Parliamentarians of the ruling coalition therefore called for understanding, time and patience, as the current government attempts to restore a rational and pragmatic public discussion on NATO. While recognising that the 2007 parliamentary declaration on neutrality was binding on the current government, and that the issue of NATO membership would have to be decided jointly by state authorities and the population, parliamentarians from the ruling parties made it clear that they saw membership as the only conceivable end to Serbia’s NATO integration path.

In the meantime, the current government favoured a progressive approach, aimed at using, to the fullest extent possible, the opportunities provided by the Partnership for Peace, including through the conclusion of an Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO in 2011. Public diplomacy was seen as the biggest problem at the political level. State Secretary of Defence Dusan Spasojevic thus called on Allied nations to “work together [with Belgrade ] to sell NATO” in Serbia. In particular, Serbian officials urged NATO to accept a revision of the 1999 Military Technical Agreement between KFOR and the governments of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia, which they argued has become a major obstacle for the promotion of NATO in Serbia due to its clear association with the 1999 conflict.    

Defence reform and modernisation of the Serbian armed forces was also one of the government’s key priorities in relation to NATO. The adoption of new strategic documents had accelerated the path towards a full professionalisation of the army – effective as of January 2011 – and an increased participation in international peace missions – including recent deployments to UN missions in Cyprus and Lebanon. The Serbian government also envisaged a participation in Common Security and Defence Policy missions, starting possibly with the EU counterpiracy operation Atalanta. Through this transformation, Serbia sought to become a model in the region of a security provider, as one parliamentarian emphasised.

Realism also characterised discussions on Serbia ’s EU aspirations. One parliamentarian from the ruling coalition stressed that “Serbia does not have the luxury to turn its back on the EU”, and that EU integration was the only possible path for the country. Serbian officials emphasised that accepting Serbia ’s membership application would send a positive signal that the Union recognises Belgrade ’s recent efforts. One Ministry of Foreign Affairs official also noted that what mattered more than a specific date for accession were the reforms implemented on the path to membership.

The key word in the delegation’s discussions on Kosovo was “compromise”. Serbian parliamentarians and government officials all stressed the need to solve this issue peacefully through dialogue, and  Belgrade’s readiness to enter new talks with Pristina, starting with technical matters and then moving on to more difficult issues. According to Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanovic, future negotiations were a “historic act that will finally provide reconciliation”. Parliamentarians emphasised that reaching a compromise was essential to achieving stability, and that it would also help Serbia ’s integration into the EU. 

Commenting on the situation in North Kosovo, Minister Bogdanovic reminded delegates that the North was a compact entity, and that its infrastructure had always been turned towards Serbia proper. He argued that Belgrade neither sought to interfere in local affairs nor had given up on Kosovo Serbs. On the contrary, it felt an obligation to improve the standards of living of a population it considers as its own citizens and which Pristina had largely neglected. Mr Bogdanovic urged the EU to adopt the same approach towards Kosovo Serbs as towards Kosovo Albanians, regretting that too little of the EU’s assistance to Kosovo reached Serb populations. The minister also stressed that Serbia saw KFOR as the only legitimate armed force in Kosovo, and that KFOR would continue to receive Serbia ’s support as long as it protected Serb populations and acted in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1244. Referring to the possible outcome of talks with Pristina, Mr Bogdanovic insisted that Serbia was not seeking a partition of the North of Kosovo; however he ruled nothing in or out in discussing the likely form of an agreement between Pristina and Belgrade.

The delegation’s visit to Bujanovac, one of the three Albanian-majority municipalities in South Serbia, highlighted how much the situation in this region is intertwined with developments in Kosovo. Since the 2001 agreement which put an end to interethnic violence in South Serbia, a number of positive steps had been taken to soothe relations between communities. Most recently, on 21 October, an agreement was reached between Albanian and Serb representatives for the creation of a multiethnic government in Bujanovac. Nevertheless, ongoing uncertainty in Kosovo forced representatives of both communities into careful positioning and manoeuvring. An international representative in Bujanovac urged officials in Belgrade as well as in South Serbia to deliver on the mutual commitment to integrate Serb representatives into local political structures and Albanians into state institutions (particularly the police and the judiciary), warning that failure to do so would lead to renewed instability. 

The delegation also visited the new “South” Base, a state of the art military facility and the only one of this kind in Serbia. The base is designed to become an important regional training centre for troops deployed in peacekeeping missions. Several training activities have already taken place at the base, including with the participation of NATO member countries. Outreach activities were also put in place to foster acceptance among the local population.

Findings from this visit will inform discussions on the report  by Marc Angel (Luxembourg) “The Western Balkans, 15 Years after Dayton: Achievements and Prospects” [208 CDSDG 10 E] at the NATO PA’s upcoming Annual Session in Warsaw on 13-14 November.

For a more detailed report click here