Djuric: The old international order is collapsing, we must understand this so that we do not pay the price

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric said today, in light of developments in Venezuela, that a global recomposition of power and approaches is underway and that a new world order is being created, which Serbia must understand in order not to pay the price. Therefore, the key principle Serbia should be guided by is the preservation of its own state and national interests, the safeguarding of identity, culture, and the state, Djuric said.

In the program “Day by Day,” Djuric said that domestic services are carefully monitoring and analyzing all developments at the global level, because it is necessary to understand what is happening worldwide.

“What is happening is a global recomposition of power, methods, and approaches. It is absolutely about the creation of a new order, and this is neither exaggeration nor a phrase, it is happening in practice. The old order is disappearing before our eyes, new rules will be established, but only once a new balance is achieved. We must be aware that the old rules no longer apply, so that we do not pay the price,” the head of Serbian diplomacy was clear.

In that sense, he says it is necessary to think soberly and with a “cool head,” and to set aside ethical and value judgments and emotions for the sake of national interests.

“The key principle that must guide us is the Serbian state and national interest. National, because we have Serbs outside Serbia, in the immediate neighborhood and beyond the region. We must preserve our identity, culture, and state. That is our responsibility. We will neither resolve major conflicts nor do we have the capacity to do so. We can only cause damage to ourselves if we rush prematurely with certain positions,” Djuric said.

Commenting on the observation that Serbia’s positions have not changed from the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine to today, Djuric recalled that President Aleksandar Vucic had emphasized just a few days ago, after a session of the National Security Council, that this was the principle Serbia adhered to.

“We adhere to what is in the Serbian state and national interest, and that is respect for international law and the UN Charter as an absolute ‘conditio sine qua non’ of both Serbia’s domestic and foreign policy. Domestic because of Kosovo and Metohija, and foreign also because of Kosovo and Metohija, and because we want order and rules in international relations and an international order based on rules,” the minister said.

He also pointed out that such a stance makes it possible to work on preserving stability as a key precondition for Serbia’s overall development, to maintain independence in conducting domestic and foreign policy, which is the will of the overwhelming majority of citizens who want Serbia to be militarily strong but neutral.

This, he added, also enables the continuation of the country’s economic development.

“We have reasons to enter 2026 with a dose of optimism, because we managed to overcome a polarized, difficult year full of divisions, unrest, and bitterness on all sides. We preserved peace, economic growth, and drew some lessons,” Djuric said.

Clear priorities of Serbia’s foreign policy

Djuric emphasized that the priorities of Serbia’s foreign policy are clear.

“We want to strengthen relations with all key actors in the international community, to adhere to the principle that Serbian interests come before everything else, and to strive to build the best possible relations in the region, because our peace depends on that,” Djuric explained.

He stressed that it is imperative for Serbia not to brandish a saber or an empty rifle.

“We have never done that, nor will we. The imperative is to preserve peace, and the best way to do that is for our weapons, our army, and our defense capacities to be able to deter any potential aggressor. That is not rattling anything,” the minister said, adding that Serbia is fully committed to strengthening its defense system.

He pointed out that Serbia is far ahead of countries in the region when it comes to the defense system, with the goal of preserving peace.

Enthusiasm regarding the development of relations with the US

Djuric admitted that he is a great enthusiast when it comes to developing relations with the United States, because he believes this is in Serbia’s national interest.

“An entire branch of our people lives there. Today there are more people of Serbian origin in America than there are in the Republic of Srpska. I am not speaking only about the official census, but about people of our origin. It is important to strengthen ties with people of our origin, because they are an important bridge of the Serbian state and potentially of the American one,” Djuric said.

As for the propaganda he says he heard about allegedly poor relations between the Serbian and American administrations, he said those relations have significantly improved compared to the situation a few years ago.

He recalled that after the elections, US President Donald Trump was among the first to speak with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who also had a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to him, no other leader from the region had such contacts.

He also recalled that he himself, as minister, was recently given a ceremonial welcome with a red carpet at the State Department and had a meeting with Rubio, which is the first such case in 18 years.

“That is symbolism, but relations have also advanced substantively. Just look at the Republic of Srpska. The US position toward Bosnia and Herzegovina has evolved in a direction more favorable to our people across the Drina. Sanctions against leaders have been lifted, the policy aimed at unitarization has been changed and replaced with a policy of agreement among peoples, which we support, and critical tones toward the High Representative are also being heard,” Djuric said.

He pointed out that the United States has suspended strategic dialogue with Kosovo because of Pristina’s treatment of the Serbian people.

“If we look at Kosovo and Metohija, the strategic dialogue with Pristina has been suspended and several hundred million in development assistance has been withheld because of pressure on Serbs. This administration views pressure on Christians particularly negatively. There have been no receptions at such a high level despite a strong Albanian lobby,” Djuric added.

He noted that lobbyists will certainly work to change that.

He also pointed out that the US administration did not intervene in a fundamental way in Serbia’s internal affairs last year.

“Imagine if all capacities of power had acted at full capacity at a moment when we had internal unrest. Neither the outcome would have been the same, nor would the situation be like this. The US administration responded with respect to our sincere desire to have strategic relations,” Djuric emphasized.

He said that sanctions certainly affected Serbia, but that the president’s request to postpone them for nine months, and now for an additional month, was respected.

“It is not as bleak as some who want to destroy our partnership try to present it,” Djuric said.

He stressed that one of the topics of the strategic dialogue is also increasing economic cooperation.

Speaking about the global situation, Djuric said that the establishment of “clearer zones of influence” of major powers can be expected.

“The historical pendulum is swinging somewhat backward. We are again moving toward spheres of influence. We can expect pressure from major powers to push out others. We are located in Europe. Much depends on how much we can protect our own house,” the head of Serbian diplomacy noted.

On reports by Swiss media about informal meetings with Bislimi: This is sensationalism

Regarding reports by Swiss media about his informal meetings with the Kosovo negotiator in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Besnik Bislimi, Djuric said that this is not true and that it is sensationalism.

“I was in 2016 or 2017, almost ten years ago, with Edita Tahiri, because the Swiss government financed a workshop within the nongovernmental organization Council for Inclusive Government, which brought together a number of Albanian and Serbian politicians. But I have not participated in their gatherings in recent years. So that is not true,” Djuric said.

He pointed out, however, that there is nothing wrong with such meetings, because they help better understand the other side, but that in this specific case there is no truth to such claims.

“There should be a platform where people of different orientations and views can talk informally, and not always under spotlights and at the table. Such meetings helped me, while I was director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, to better understand what the other side wants, and they were very useful. But in this case, it is sensationalism,” Djuric concluded.