Stankovich: Serbia will prove the organic compatibility of the European Union and BRICS

Special report for Kosovo Online from Kazan by Zeljko Sajn

At the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, which gathered 2,700 accredited journalists, we had the good fortune to meet one of the most authoritative political analysts of the Russian Federation – Sergey Stankovich. In the hall where the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, will speak to journalists today, as we hurried to our seats to write, we had the opportunity to speak with Stankovich, and our brief conversation turned into a mini-interview for Kosovo Online.

Turkey’s admission to BRICS has not yet been fully agreed upon. It is likely that Turkey will first be offered transitional status: BRICS partner country. What will this enable for Turkey?

It will give Turkey access to all serious economic projects, but decisions regarding its membership in the alliance and its strategy will still be made by the existing small circle.

Isn’t this a precedent, given that Turkey is a NATO member?

The mere fact of Turkey's participation in BRICS, in any status, will serve as a precedent. If a NATO member can be a partner of BRICS, it means that other countries, NATO members, or those who disagree with the North Atlantic alliance, can follow its example.

Which countries exactly are you referring to?

Among others, it is possible that Hungary and Slovakia will soon submit applications.

What would joining BRICS bring to Serbia?

As for Serbia, the status of a partner country could be a favorable choice for it. It would allow Serbia to benefit from the economic opportunities of BRICS.

How would this affect its position on the path to joining the European Union?

With such status, Serbia would preserve its prospects for EU membership. If everything goes successfully, Serbia will prove the organic compatibility of the European Union and BRICS.

Why is UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Kazan?

As the Secretary-General of the UN, Guterres is obligated to support such authoritative international organizations as BRICS. So, Guterres has every legal basis to come to Kazan, but he has probably also discussed military conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine with Putin.