Sachs: Serbia has found its path in complex geopolitical circumstances

World-renowned economist and sustainable development expert Jeffrey Sachs assessed that Serbia has succeeded in finding the right path amid complex geopolitical circumstances and that its role today should be to connect different regions, cultures, and economies, RTS reported.

Speaking at the opening of the inaugural Horizons Forum at the Sava Center in Belgrade, Sachs stated that connecting people and regions is Serbia’s true role and noted that the world is entering a new multipolar era.

“We are proud of Serbia because Serbia is finding the right path in a highly complex world. This is not easy to achieve when everyone is shouting at you — telling you what you may or may not do, how you must act, or that you are on the wrong side. Serbia has understood a fundamental truth: perhaps owing to its long and complex history, its ability to overcome differences, and its experience of linking various empires and cultures, its genuine role today is precisely to serve as a bridge,” Sachs said, as quoted by RTS.

He emphasized that the world is undergoing a period of major transformation involving the transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources, adding that this process presents an opportunity for closer cooperation between China and the West.

Sachs further noted that the world is entering a new era and assessed that Serbia is already on the right track.

“You have attracted Chinese investment and have not allowed yourselves to be intimidated by U.S. sanctions against China,” Sachs stressed.

Addressing broader global developments, he said that the world is moving toward a multipolar order in which Europe is not losing its prosperity but rather sharing it with other global actors.

“Thank God that Western dominance has come to an end,” Sachs said.

The two-day Horizons Forum has brought together around 500 participants and more than 20 experts in the fields of economics, technology, energy, and artificial intelligence in Belgrade.

The forum is organized by the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia with the aim of fostering dialogue on key global economic and technological trends, sustainable development, and geopolitical changes.