Serbia continues to provoke destabilization in Kosovo and the entire region. On Saturday, the so-called “All-Serbian Assembly” convened in Belgrade, where leaders from Serbia and the Serbian entity in Bosnia, Republika Srpska, called for the unity of Serbs across the region.
The event was organized under the slogan “One People, One Assembly – Serbia and Srpska” and produced the so-called Declaration for the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the language of the declaration was carefully chosen and focuses on Kosovo, takes into account the Dayton Agreement that ended the Bosnian War in the 1990s, and does not mention the division of Bosnia.
However, he added that Serbia “will never abandon Republika Srpska.”
In response to this “Assembly,” the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović, considered it a dangerous project of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, directly linked to Russia’s efforts to destabilize Southeastern Europe and divert attention from its aggression in Ukraine.
Bećirović stated that the “All-Serbian Assembly” threatens peaceful and equal cooperation between European states.
“Such a scenario suits only Putin’s Russia, and it is no coincidence that top Russian officials have publicly supported the holding of the ‘All-Serbian Assembly,'” Bećirović declared.
Kosovo and the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier, have also reacted to this “Assembly,” expressing their concerns.
“We express our concern about a statement from a pan-Serb Assembly claiming that Kosovo is somehow, I forgot the expression they used, I believe ‘an inseparable part of Serbia,'” Hovenier said.
Hovenier made it clear that this is not the stance of the U.S. or its partners, and Kosovo’s independence is not up for debate.
“I can only say this: this is not the stance of my country or its partners. We have recognized Kosovo as an independent, sovereign, democratic country, and this is not for debate, nor will it be renegotiated; it should be accepted and celebrated. It should be part of the region’s collective success. Despite those revanchist statements, nothing will come of it,” Hovenier said.
In a statement for “Bota Sot,” renowned American expert on the Balkans at Johns Hopkins University, Daniel Serwer, commented on the opposing responses from the American embassies in Sarajevo and Belgrade.
“The Declaration for the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People is what it says it is: an effort to institutionalize pan-Serbian institutions in an Assembly (to be convened every two years) and a National Council of the Serbian People. The Assembly includes representatives of the broader Serbian diaspora, but the Council comprises officials from the Republic of Serbia (Belgrade) and the Bosnian entity Republika Srpska (based in Banja Luka). Their collaboration aims are set out: the Pan-Serbian Assembly recommends that the institutions of the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska act united and coordinated and make efforts to prevent the assimilation of Serbs in the region and worldwide. The Assembly also recognizes the Serbian Orthodox Church as a pillar of ‘national, cultural, and spiritual identity.’ It supports Serbia’s efforts to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity, declaring Kosovo and Metohija ‘inalienable.’ The Assembly also calls for a return in Bosnia to the peace agreements as signed. This means without many decisions made by the High Representative, the Sarajevo parliament, and the entity assemblies since 1995. The Declaration explicitly challenges the appointment of the current High Representative,” Serwer expressed.
He considers this “Greater Serbia” but under a different name, adding that its goal is to prevent Serbs in neighboring countries (Bosnia, Montenegro, and Kosovo) from declaring and acting according to loyalty to the countries in which they live.
“Greater Serbia by another name! I could go on, but essentially this document is a manifesto for the Serbian World, or Greater Serbia. References to the broader Serbian diaspora are a thin veil. Most Serbs living in Australia have already ‘assimilated.’ They vote in elections there, serve in its armed forces and other Australian institutions, and describe themselves as Australians, although they maintain their Serbian identity. The real aim of this declaration is to prevent Serbs in neighboring countries (Bosnia, Montenegro, and Kosovo) from declaring and acting according to loyalty to the countries in which they live. This is a prerequisite for any future unification, which is the ultimate Serbian aim. The good news is that someone thinks Serbs can be loyal to the countries in which they live,” the American expert asserts.
Serwer compared the statements of the American embassies in Sarajevo and Belgrade, noting that the American embassy in Pristina did not react.
“Statements from the embassy, one right and one wrong! The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo got it right: … the conclusions adopted in the All-Serbian Assembly regarding the Dayton Peace Agreement (PDSH) and the independent state of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are rooted in legal misinformation and filled with errors. They do not constitute protection of the Dayton Peace Agreement, as claimed by the authors, but are a deliberate attack on that agreement and the state institutions of Bosnia-Herzegovina. This is dangerous. The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade got it wrong. I was told this is what the ambassador said in response to a question about the Declaration: The focus of anyone who cares about Serbia and its future should remain on creating a peaceful and prosperous future for the entire Western Balkans, increasing regional cooperation with EU integration as the final goal. Serbia has a constructive role to play in that process, and we welcome the many examples of its leaders pledging to do so. While this is true, you wouldn’t know that Serbia is already ‘rapidly derailing’ from EU membership. I have not found a comment from the American Embassy in Pristina. They correctly retweeted Sarajevo’s denunciation,” Serwer declares.
Furthermore, according to him, Washington is trying to calm Vucic and burn Dodik.
“What is the real American position? Currently, both are. Washington is trying to calm Vucic and burn Milorad Dodik, the secessionist President of Republika Srpska. This effort to distinguish between them hasn’t worked. Nor will it, as their objective is the same: Greater Serbia, de facto if not de jure. The embassy in Sarajevo has repeatedly said the right things about Dodik, whom the U.S. has sanctioned. But it has done little more in practice. Washington needs to squeeze the finances of Republika Srpska as much as possible. And get the EU and UK to do the same. Compliments to them if they do this quietly,” the expert adds.
Some Americans, according to expert Serwer, believe that taming Vucic will work better than criticizing him.
Americans should read Vucic as an act of trouble, says Serwer, adding that this is a loud and clear warning.
“Americans are calming Serbia these days because they want Belgrade to continue exporting ammunition to Ukraine. But Serbia is also exporting electronic components to Russia needed to produce weapons. Belgrade deserves little credit for doing what it should do, especially if it continues doing what it knows it shouldn’t. Some Americans also believe that taming Vucic will work better than criticizing him. I know of no basis for this belief. It contradicts his past behavior and that of his mentor, Slobodan Milosevic. I had hoped when he first came to power that Vucic would become a true democrat. But he dashed those hopes long ago. Americans should read Vucic’s act of trouble, this is his loud and public warning. Washington should oppose funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for Serbia unless it ends its irredentist claims against Bosnia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. Americans should also lobby hard against funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the EU Growth Plan if this condition is not met,” the expert concludes.
