Janjic: Serbia's position will be delicate if a "military Schengen" is formed

President of the Forum for Ethnic Relations, Dusan Janjic, assessed that the possibility of forming a so-called military Schengen would be more directed toward preventing Russia from transferring conflict to the Western Balkans, however, he added that Serbia's position would be delicate because it was militarily neutral.

"As for the formation of a military Schengen, it is more directed toward preventing Russia from transferring war to the Western Balkans. It is aimed at defending against the transmission of conflict, not for internal matters. Serbia's position will be delicate in the case of a military Schengen because it is militarily neutral. However, neutrality does not exclude cooperation in security matters. It's a good idea that won't be realized, but it's certain that what is already happening, the exchange of people and politicians, a better understanding of how NATO works by Serbian authorities, and cooperation in civil protection, which hasn't existed before, can help on Kosovo," Janjic said for Kosovo Online, explaining the announcements about the formation of a "military Schengen" in the region, which would be confirmed at the NATO summit in Washington in July, and which would involve corridors for the free movement of troops between Alliance member countries.

He added that "the so-called military Schengen is one of the ideas."
 
"Objectively, it can only be within NATO standards, which will be a major challenge for the current authorities in Serbia, which is the essence of the security crisis in Kosovo from Rambouillet to today. NATO and the US positioned themselves as the guarantors of power in Europe in the 1990s, and since World War II, globally, and that is what they won't let go of and what Putin's Russia currently doesn't agree with," Janjic said.

As he emphasized, Kosovo and Bosnia are neuralgic points in terms of security, especially Kosovo.

"There is a security crisis in Kosovo and Bosnia, especially in Kosovo, because since June 2022, we have seen the introduction of the Serbian Army, gendarmerie in play, civil protection among Serbs arming themselves and taking to the barricades. Initially, it was a show of strength with Kurti's government, the police, and institutions, then NATO got involved in preventively raising its aircraft. Then we have this major crisis, clashes with soldiers, more than ninety KFOR soldiers were injured, which is considered an attack on representatives of the international military mission NATO. However, KFOR did something it doesn't like to do, police work, and it was separating the people, dissatisfied citizens from the institutions of the Kosovo Government. That is certainly something they want to escape from and return to military-police matters. However, there is no solution because there is no discussion about the return of Serbs to the police forces, but Kurti, by his own criteria, is accepting, and that is a problem that is not being resolved," Janjic believes.