PARTNER: GERMANY - SERBIA
COMMENT
History
CONDENSED While we are celebrating many events and factors that make German-Serbian bilateral relations stronger, history might also be in the making. This largely depends on how the new Serbian government and parliament will deal with current accession issues
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As such, 2020 might prove to be an historic year for ong before the pandemic turned our world upside the region. There are several reasons for that: first, the down, it was well known that 2020 would be a year EU strongly demonstrated its interest in the region during packed with historic events. Included among them the crisis. This was demonstrated by EU financial support are undoubtedly the anniversary of three decades of of €3.3 billion to Serbia and rest of the Western Balkans; the reunification of Germany, a jubilee passionately debated activation of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism during both within German borders and around Europe. Here in the time of the pandemic and the expected inclusion of Serbia we are marking half of the century of the work of the the region in the EU developmental package including the Goethe-Institut and preparing for the celebration of two a European Green Deal. decades of the existence of the German-Serbian Chamber For their part, North Macedonia and Albania are right of Commerce, technically in 2021. All of these events seek in the middle of their preparations for accession talks, a different size and scope of thorough contemplation, and which is an important milestone, while Serbia itself has the fresh ideas about what to do next. possible momentum required to galvanise its somewhat Even without different kinds of jubilees, the year stalled accession negotiations. itself could have been remembered Indeed, such a shift seeks signifias an historic one, both at the global It seems that 2020 might level and at the level of national cant effort from the new Serbian govbecome an historic year in economies. Early 2020 was marked ernment and parliament to embrace by acceleration of the trade war Serbian records, as the one in a faster pace of reforms, in terms between U.S. and China, troubleof the rule of law and, in particular, some Brexit negotiations and, as a which no negotiation chapters judicial reform, media freedom and consequence, a slowdown in global were opened. However, things the fight against corruption. As Gereconomic activity. This gave eveAmbassador to Serbia Thomas may look up before Germany's man Schieb put it: “the more progress rybody a headache – from strong EU presidency ends. on the rule of law, the more chapter economies like that of Germany, to openings are possible.” the much smaller ones, such as the Furthermore, there is obviously the issues of the Serbian, which is strongly dependent on its largest trade normalisation of relations with Kosovo, as well as the and investment partner. general alignment of Serbia’s foreign policy record with Then the pandemic emerged, ensuring - among other that of the EU. things - that Germany’s EU presidency would a very difficult One also has to keep in mind that 2020 might be an period in which many historical moves had been, and still historic year in Serbian records as the one in which no have to be, taken. The list is already long: an agreement chapters were opened. Yet, as the clock ticks, space for on the multi-annual financial framework for the EU for optimism still lingers in the air. the next seven years, plus an additional package of 750 Consequently, this edition of CorD, in which we address billion euros aimed at helping the recovery of the European all of the aforementioned issues and many more, might economy. The further complication of negotiations with become an important piece of evidence on how history the UK, as well as the most important topic for our part has turned, one way or the other. of the world – the future of the EU enlargement process.
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