Kolakovic: Economy a Dominant Theme in Paris; Macron Will Show Increased Interest in the Western Balkans

Historian Aleksandra Kolakovic expects that during the visit of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to Paris, the dominant theme will be economic cooperation, and that French President Emmanuel Macron will show increased interest in the Western Balkans.

Part of the discussion, she adds, will be directed towards the latest developments in Kosovo, numerous problems, and the question of Kosovo's admission to the Council of Europe and the development of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

Kolakovic for Kosovo Online reminds that the rapprochement between France and Serbia has been ongoing since 2019, and that there has been constant progress in the field of political and economic topics during this period.

She highlights the importance of the French Development Agency, based in Belgrade, for Serbia, but also for the entire Balkans.

"Therefore, economic topics, which will be on the agenda of the meeting in Paris, are especially important. It is expected that France will show increased interest in the Balkan region. When placed in a broader geopolitical context, international relations, and numerous changes, it is essential for Serbia to be present and to have a constant line of diplomatic communication with various actors. France plays a significant role for Serbia in a political sense, especially in the context of Eurointegrations and regarding Kosovo and Metohija," emphasized Kolakovic.

She adds that discussions in Paris will also cover military cooperation, procurement of weapons, the defense industry, as well as nuclear cooperation and the possibilities of transferring certain technologies from France to Serbia, which is important for the IT sector.

"There are also issues of education, science, and culture. Since the French strategy for the Western Balkans in 2019, we see a constant development of the relations between France and Serbia. The most notable investments include Vinci or the Belgrade metro, but there is a lot of room for other French companies. Economic topics will definitely dominate the meeting between Vucic and Macron, as it has been announced that the Finance Minister will accompany the president. All these topics, especially those related to the military, are significant in a political sense as well," observes Kolakovic.

She reminds us that there have been 19 meetings between Vucic and Macron, through direct visits and on the margins of conferences, which shows a significant continuity in communication between the two countries.

When asked whether Vucic will encounter support for Serbia's interests or criticism, Kolakovic highlights that there are differing views on the issue of Kosovo.

"We know that France has recognized Kosovo's independence, and I believe it will remain in that stance, and it's known that the Serbian stance is different. I think that part of the conversation will be directed towards the latest developments in Kosovo and Metohija, numerous problems, and the question of Kosovo's admission to the Council of Europe, as well as the development of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. On the other hand, Eurointegration is a dominant topic, and the signal sent from the EU regarding the alignment of Serbia's foreign policy with Brussels, especially regarding the war in Ukraine," she said.

She also highlighted the importance of the historical aspect of the relationship with Paris, noting that this year marks 175 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Serbia, which, she says, have gone through various phases.

"France has been seen as close to Serbia and a role model country for a significant part of that period. Examples of French constitutionalism are woven into the development of the Serbian state, especially in the 19th century. The most glorious period of relations in the 20th century is tied to World War I, where the idea of eternal friendship between the French and Serbs was founded, which was incorporated into the matrix of Yugoslavism, or French-Yugoslav friendship. Periods of crisis did occur, especially in 1960 when diplomatic relations were severed due to Tito's stance towards the Algerian war and in the '90s when Serbia was bombed as well as the recognition of Kosovo's independence in the 21st century. However, traditionally speaking, France has been very important for the development of Serbia. It returned to the Western Balkans in 2019. We are geographically distant from the French, but we are extremely close and cooperate in numerous complicated and complex geopolitical relations, as they are now," concluded Kolakovic.