Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that Belgrade is willing to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
‘Serbia is also among the countries that are offering their good services, given our background, given the fact that we are friends with all the parties involved, to try and, if needed or if there’s an interest, host any kind of talks … on how to bring this horrible tragedy which has resulted in so many deaths and so much destruction to an end,’ the foreign minister said.
He said the war in Ukraine needs to come to an immediate end.
‘Serbia is, in principle, supportive of territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states in line with their U.N. borders,’ including Ukraine, he added.
The foreign minister’s offer to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia comes after a proposed summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary was shelved.
Some analysts say Serbia would be a surprising choice to host the next round of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine given the historic ties Russia and Serbia share, rooted in cultural and religious connections through the Serbian Orthodox Church.
While Serbia joined U.N. resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the referenda annexing parts of Ukrainian territory, Belgrade has refused to join Western sanctions targeting Russia over the invasion. Yet Djuric points out that both Ukraine and Russia support Serbia’s territorial integrity regarding Kosovo.
Djuric was in New York for a United Nations Security Council meeting on Kosovo. In 1999, a nearly three-month NATO bombing campaign ended a war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo. Serbian forces were pushed out, but Belgrade still considers Kosovo a Serbian province.
Some European officials have questioned Serbia’s commitment to European unity. Foreign Minister Djuric countered that Serbia values its place in Europe between East and West, while also noting the country’s close relationship with the U.S.
‘Serbia is very proud of its independent foreign and security policy, which has been deeply rooted in the history of our nation and has enabled us to remain independent for centuries, although we are small,’ he said. ‘We value very much our strategic partnership growing with the United States for which there is bipartisan consensus in this country.
‘But also, we should bear in mind the fact that President Trump is by far the most popular foreign leader in our country and is the most popular leader for Serbs. I mean, in comparison to all other European countries, President Trump’s popularity in Serbia is unparalleled. More than 71% of the Serbs have a very favorable opinion of the U.S. president and of his policies, which really gives a very fertile ground for the further growth of our relationship.’
Yet Serbia’s ties with China, widely viewed as the United States’ main economic and military competitor on the world stage, have caused some concern in Washington.
The U.S. recently sanctioned Serbia’s Russian-owned oil company, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), which is Serbia’s main supplier of oil and gasoline.
China conducted military exercises in Serbia in July despite stern warnings from the European Union, and Belgrade provides Beijing with a security foothold in Europe. Serbia has also purchased medium- and short-range surface-to-air missile systems from China.
Beijing’s biggest penetration into Serbia is in the economic space. It has invested more than $10 billion in infrastructure projects over the last 15 years, according to the Center for European Policy Analysis.
‘I also have to admit that we have very good economic relations with China, and China also supports our position on Kosovo in the sense that it recognizes Serbia and its U.N. borders. So, they are, as a U.N. Security Council member, also an important partner for us,’ Djuric said.
Djuric said great power competition between the U.S. and China is ‘above the pay grade of a small Balkan nation’ and that the Serbian government will continue to focus on its economic development.
Domestically, Serbia has been roiled by student-led anti-corruption protests for nearly a year, demanding justice and accountability after the deaths of 16 people in the collapse of a railway station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad. Critics across the European Union have called out Serbian security forces for a heavy-handed response against the protesters.
Djuric said he wants to establish an honest dialogue with the protesters and find a way to de-escalate tensions.
‘We treat the views of our citizens who disagree with the government with respect, and I don’t want to label any of them in any way. I believe that we are mature enough to have a dignified, decent, democratic dialogue, and we will always stand for democracy in Serbia,’ Djuric said.
‘Serbia’s government has shown accountability in the wake of the tragedy that happened in Novi Sad. Ministers have been replaced. Some of them have been called, held to account and even imprisoned. We’ve changed the government since then and included Professor [Djuro] Macut, who is our current prime minister, into the government, a university professor, and the vision of President Vucic remains to unify the people of Serbia, to overcome political divisions, and to create a society based on dialog and social cohesion rather than polarization.’
The Associated Press contributed to this article.