While European institutions are calling on Belgrade to align with the EU’s policy toward Russia and demanding greater transparency over the Serbian-Russian Humanitarian Center in Niš, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has chosen to honor an official from the very center under European scrutiny.
Vučić decorated 55 people on the occasion of Serbia’s Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom and the National Flag. Among those honored was Vlado Plemić, deputy director for training at the Serbian-Russian Humanitarian Center in Niš and a former member of Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Plemić received the First Degree Order of Merit in the Field of Defense and Security. According to the official justification, the award recognizes his exemplary performance of duties in defense and security, as well as his bravery during firefighting operations in Deliblatska Peschara and other areas of Serbia.
Established in 2012 through an agreement between Serbia and Russia, the Serbian-Russian Humanitarian Center in Niš has for years raised concerns within European institutions over its role and activities.
The European Parliament has called for greater transparency regarding the center and has criticized Belgrade’s close relations with Moscow. It has also called on Serbia to fully align its foreign and security policy with that of the EU, including restrictive measures against Russia. Serbia has not aligned itself with the EU’s sanctions against Russia.
So while Brussels continues to demand that Belgrade move closer to the EU and distance itself from Moscow, Vučić is sending a different message at home: honor the people connected to the Serbian-Russian center.
The contradiction speaks for itself.
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