Viskovic: In foreign policy, we have returned to the post since October 5 – Politics

Viskovic, who was ambassador to Ljubljana and Berlin, stated in a conversation with Beta that the recognition of Kosovo’s independence by the majority of the EU members is the main reason why the strategic objectives established after the 5th were not achieved. October, when it comes to foreign policy.

He added that this was the reason for Serbia’s “more moderate” attitude towards the EU, and especially the loss of support for that path in public opinion, “because it fell from 70 percent to less than 50 percent of support.”

He emphasized that, when it comes to foreign policy, Serbia returned today 20 years ago, to the position it was in on October 5.

“Serbia cannot hope for a faster path to the EU, because the demands before us are difficult, the interests are great and the chances are small.” Almost all political leaders fear that any acceptance of the EU’s demands in that area really means their political defeat and perhaps even their political marginalization and disappearance, “Viskovic said.

Asked by Beta if Serbia definitively lost the opportunity it was given in foreign policy at the time, Viskovic said that after October 5, the most elaborate strategic platform of Serbian foreign policy from 2000 to today was announced at the exhibition of the then Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic.

“Minister Svilanovic’s statement affirms that we must normalize relations with our neighbors, return to all international organizations, and develop friendly relations with the great powers, not only with the United States and Russia, but also with China, India, and Japan. Likewise, maintain friendly relations with third world countries as potential economic partners. But the basic commitment was the effort to become a member of the EU, “recalled Viskovic.

When asked by Beta whether Western partners also have a responsibility for Serbia to return to its position on October 5, Viskovic said that “the West is not without sin in that.

Because not only did they not have a balanced attitude towards the interests of Serbia and its rivals, but they also forced politicians who they strongly supported and believed in for the past 20 years to give in and do things that could not be a source of popularity in the public opinion. that the reason for the loss of support ”, added the professor from the FPN.

According to him, some of these “devouring frogs” insisted on a speedy and complete extradition of the accused to the Court in The Hague.

“I do not question the justification of these demands, but the insistence on the urgency of fulfilling them in the still tense political situation in the country, which led to the organization of the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic by those who feared being extradited and supported.” of those who saw in all this a new Western conspiracy against the Serbs, “Visković said.

He added that the West demanded that Serbia reach an agreement with the Kosovo Albanians as soon as possible from the “losing position”.

“I don’t think that was their intention, but the leaders of the main EU members did not contribute in this way to lift the spirits of our public opinion, basically conservative, towards the Union and our closest relations with them, but they implicitly allowed to grow the spirit of search. “A better partnership with countries that are large and powerful, but from which we can hardly get support for political modernization and the development of democratic political culture and respect for the highest modern standards in the human rights field, “he said.

When asked how he evaluates Serbia’s European path during the Vojislav Kostunica government, Viskovic said that Kostunica was skeptical about the EU.

“Kostunica equated general relations with the EU with one of its components: the policy towards Kosovo, and that was the main problem. Therefore, the relationship was reduced to the question of whether the EU will accept our position and our interest or support the Kosovo Albanians. “I cannot say that Kostunica did not maintain relations with the EU and the major Western powers, but it was evident that his attitude towards the West was more reserved than the attitude of our other political leaders,” said the ambassador.

He stated that during Boris Tadic the concept of “four pillars” of foreign policy was developed, that is, that we must develop good relations with Europe, the United States, Russia and China as fundamental commitments.

“Paradoxically, the ‘fifth pillar’ is missing in which Tadic achieved better results, and it was relations with neighbors. It can be said that Tadic achieved results in normalizing relations with neighbors even more than everyone else, even Djindjic himself, because not only did he understand that it was in the interest of Serbia, but he was politically willing to swallow those bitter pills. . they were necessary for that, “Viskovic said.

When asked by Beta what the geostrategic position of Serbia is today, Viskovic said that it is bad that our relations with the West are conditioned by Kosovo.

“We are in a similar situation to that of October 5. Unfortunately, we cannot get out of that vicious circle of interest in cooperation, on the one hand, and objective differences in opinions on some important issues, on the other. It is bad that our relations with the West are conditioned by their attitude towards Kosovo, that is, the question of Kosovo’s independence. It is a stumbling block that we can never jump over and, I am convinced, you cannot move from there as much as we want, ”said the professor.

Viskovic says that basically the position of Serbia is such that the EU is the absolute best alternative, but with the possibility of maintaining cooperation with those countries in which we have economic interests or even on which we are dependent, as with Russia in the case of energy, gas and oil. .

“We are lucky and unlucky to be in such an interesting area for everyone from a geopolitical point of view. Geostrategically, we are not what we used to be between East and West, and it better be. “On the other hand, internally, there is a very deep and visible conflict between the pro-Europeans and those who do not want good relations with the EU and the West as a whole because of their attitude towards the Kosovo issue,” he said.

He added that this division has been present in Serbia for more than 100 years, the division into Europeans and people, that is, world champions and patriots.

“Our mentality and our habits are not prone to so-called cost-benefit analysis (how much something costs us and how much it benefits us), but the mass of people and politicians under the influence of that state of mind decide with a sense of justice But in international relations, that is not desirable, “Viskovic said.

He says that international relations are not based on justice and international law, but on the interests and power of those who want to do something.

According to him, this emotionally based attitude of the majority of public opinion held back all the leaders: Djindjic, Tadic, Kostunica, and even (Aleksandar) Vucic in some aspects of foreign policy, because it is obvious that all these leaders, in addition of some Plans for a more rational basis for our foreign policy, however, followed public opinion, “without enough political courage to conflict with the majority of the public.”

“And of course that did not bring anything particularly good, because following public opinion on the situation in Serbia, where a big step is needed when there is wisdom and courage from the state, is not the happiest of politics,” Viskovic said.

When asked by Beta if, in addition to Kosovo, the stagnation in European integration is also affected by the fact that Serbia does not sufficiently comply with the recommendations of the European Commission regarding the rule of law, freedom of the media, communication and the fight against crime and corruption, said Viskovic. Serbia “achieved very little”.

“We are not lagging behind in that regard. It can even be said that we have achieved very little, that this is one of the basic controversial issues when it comes to our progress towards the European Union, especially the issue of meeting valid criteria in the developed countries related to human rights and democratic freedoms, “Viskovic told the agency. Beta.

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