The Minister for European Integration of Serbia, Tanja Miščević, mentioned in an interview for Deutsche Welle (DW) that relations between Germany and Serbia haven’t deteriorated and that Serbia’s path in direction of the European Union positively leads by way of Berlin.
Miščević, who had a collection of conferences within the capital of Germany this week, mentioned that Berlin is “very all for Serbia, each economically and bilaterally – by way of massive investments, an enormous variety of people who find themselves employed in German firms, by way of bilateral help which is yearly positively the most important when in comparison with all different nations”.
“Germany is investing in Serbia exactly as a result of it sees it on the European path and since it understands that European path,” she assessed and added that “Germany can also be a task mannequin for Serbia in lots of areas – from the rule of regulation and media freedom, by way of financial energy and stability, as much as points associated to the inexperienced transition and power diversification”.
When requested how relations between Belgrade and Berlin are in the present day and whether or not they’re worse because the coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals got here to energy in Germany, the minister replied that she didn’t suppose that relations had deteriorated, however identified that points such because the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, strongly form the relations between Germany and Serbia.
“And that’s not detrimental, quite the opposite… The main target is now on dialogue, and different areas, reforms, are behind that as a subject,” she added, stressing that “one shouldn’t neglect the brand new geostrategic scenario brought on by the warfare in Europe, the warfare in Ukraine, which can also be one of many parts of the completely different perspective between Serbia and Germany”.
Answering the query of why Serbia doesn’t impose sanctions on Russia and thus align itself with EU international coverage, the minister emphasizes that that is solely one of many parts of international coverage and reminds that Serbia helps the territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemns Russian aggression.
“We stood with the EU, but additionally with different nations, when numerous resolutions have been handed by the UN Normal Meeting, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, UNESCO… We’re not impartial right here. On this battle, we’re on the aspect of all those that observe very critically the warfare in Ukraine, as a hazard to the safety of Europe,” Miščević mentioned.
She added that she additionally confronted these criticisms within the talks in Berlin. “We defined that there are causes (for not introducing sanctions) associated to dialogue, for full dependence on Russian fuel and oil. (…) And the third vital factor is the emotional perspective of residents who know very properly what it means to be beneath sanctions,” she added. .
When requested in regards to the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, Miščević mentioned that “Serbia is all the time in favor of dialog and dialogue, however with very clear ‘purple traces’: ‘no’ to recognition of independence and ‘no’ to membership within the United Nations”.
In an interview with DW, Minister for European Integration Tanja Miščević additionally spoke about whether or not Serbia lobbies in opposition to visa liberalization for Kosovo residents, the way it responds when confronted with criticism of the “Open Balkans” venture, and what she might hear from Croatian officers when firstly of January, she was in Zagreb, on the Christmas celebration organized by the Serbian Nationwide Council.
