Djuric: Military alliance of Albania and Croatia with Pristina violates Dayton Agreement on arms control

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated that the military alliance between Croatia, Albania, and the authorities in Pristina disrupts the balance, strength, and security architecture of the region and violates the 1996 agreement on arms control, which is part of the Dayton Agreement.

In an interview with K1, Djuric emphasized the significance of the recent dinner hosted in Brussels by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa in honor of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

“These are people who lead the most important European institutions. This kind of gesture is not common, especially for a country of this size. The fact that these two key European leaders organized a dinner in someone's honor is not just about their personal respect for President Vucic, which is evident because they wouldn’t treat him this way otherwise, but also a genuine desire to support Serbia and its government in accelerating its European integration, reforms, and modernization,” Djuric pointed out.

He noted that, in diplomacy, hosting a dinner is a highly friendly gesture, especially given the political efforts made by some regional figures to prevent this meeting.

“Sharing a meal with someone is generally an intimate and friendly act. In diplomacy, this type of gesture is considered an honor. Considering that the dinner took place despite weeks of campaigning and lobbying by certain politicians in the region who wanted to prevent it at all costs, I see it as a success for Serbia,” the minister stressed.

Djuric also highlighted President Vucic’s direct approach when addressing issues related to the rights of Serbs in Kosovo.

"He asks why their rights are being violated, why the Community of Serb Municipalities has not been established for over a decade, and when Serbia will be treated equally in the EU negotiation process, despite having achieved greater economic and institutional development than some countries that joined the EU with a lower standard of living than Serbia currently has," Djuric stated.

Regarding the military alliance between Albania, Croatia, and the authorities in Pristina, Djuric reiterated that Serbia had raised concerns about how such an alliance could be formed in a post-conflict zone without consultation with all regional actors. He emphasized that this agreement affects the security architecture of the entire region and pointed to the 1996 Sub-Regional Arms Control Agreement, which is part of the Dayton Agreement.

"You entered into this agreement without even courteously informing your closest neighbors that something of this magnitude was happening. We have raised this issue with our partners in Albania, Croatia, and all relevant areas. Last week, during his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, President Vucic brought up this issue because we have the Sub-Regional Arms Control Agreement, which is part of the Dayton Agreement. Entering into such military alliances disrupts the regional balance, strength, and security architecture and violates existing agreements," Djuric stated.

Discussing Jelena Milic’s recall from her position as Serbia’s ambassador to Croatia, Djuric acknowledged ideological differences with her but condemned the campaign against her, calling it inappropriate and rejecting the concept of public shaming.

"When I see that both radical Croatian media and some domestic outlets have united in attacking her… I am not sure everything is so black and white, and I am certain she did not deserve such defamation. In diplomacy, we always make personnel decisions based on Serbia’s interests and position at a given moment. None of us were born into ambassadorial, ministerial, or any other official roles, and that doesn’t mean someone won’t take on another role tomorrow. But what I dislike is this type of public lynching. We always assign people according to the needs of the service," Djuric stated.

Minister Djuric also expressed support for Serbia’s new ambassador to the US, Dragan Sutanovac, highlighting that he has an important role in further strengthening Serbia’s infrastructure in the US. He emphasized that Serbia has significant potential for cooperation with America in both the economic and foreign policy spheres and concluded that maintaining good relations with the new US administration is crucial.