Serbia will continue to lead an “independent and sovereign” foreign policy, Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said in a speech at a New Year's reception on January 12. 

Overall, Dacic’s speech signalled no change to Belgrade’s foreign policy, particularly with respect to Kosovo, which Serbia does not recognise as independent. 

He spoke of preserving Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which, he said, remains Serbia’s most important priority, and one on which the government “will work diligently in the year 2024”.

“I will repeat once again – we will not recognise the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, neither explicitly nor implicitly, nor will we allow our southern province [Kosovo] to become a member of the United Nations,” Dacic said. 

“The Republic of Serbia has the same right as any other country in the world to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Therefore we will continue to insist on consistent compliance with international law and the legally binding United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.” 

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, and is recognised as a separate state by over 100 countries. However, Serbia, as well as key international actors such as China and Russia, and five EU members, does not recognise Kosovo. 

EU accession a priority

Serbia is required to normalise its relations with Kosovo if it is to progress towards EU accession. 

Dacic stressed the importance of Serbia’s EU accession, but criticised Brussels for the slow pace – a complaint also voiced by officials from other candidate countries such as Albania. 

“I use this opportunity to reiterate that full membership in the European Union is a strategic commitment and priority of the foreign policy of the Republic of Serbia. Therefore we will continue to implement comprehensive reforms, primarily with the aim of further economic and social progress, and for the benefit of the citizens of our country,” he said. 

“I must emphasise that we are not satisfied that the European integration process of the Republic of Serbia is taking so long, because there is no objective reason for its delay,” he added. 

“While some in the European Union wonder whether new member states would contribute to the Union, we wonder how meaningful the integration process is if it does not depend on previously defined criteria, but new conditions are constantly being set.” 

Russia relations 

Dacic did not mention the pressure on Serbia from Western governments to join sanctions on Russia. However, he commented that in 2024 Belgrade “will not forget our old partnerships and traditional friendships”. 

“We want to, as before, improve all-round bilateral relations with the most important actors of international politics – the USA, Russia and China, as well as with European partners,” he said. 

This is in keeping with Serbia’s long-standing ‘four pillars’ foreign policy, under which it seeks to build friendly relations with China, Russia, the EU and the US. This has become considerably more difficult since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Approaching the Global South 

Dacic also highlighted Serbia’s relationship with countries in the Global South. The country has sought to build upon ties forged with key emerging markets countries during the Cold War era, where Yugoslavia was an important country in the Non-Aligned Movement. 

“I am especially pleased that the Republic of Serbia is successfully raising the level of relations with friendly countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We want the historical closeness and mutual respect of our peoples to be a solid foundation for our cooperation in the future,” the Serbian foreign minister said. "At the same time, we strive to develop cooperation with BRICS countries, ASEAN and the Non-Aligned Movement, which play a significant role on the international level."