Policy Sections
Mini Sections
EPIA Business Development Unit Intern – Paid Internship
Interim Public Affairs Manager
Account Executive in Public Affairs - Financial Services Practice
Policy advisor International Affairs
Writer/Web Editor - Native English
Consultant (Scientist) to work on the NERC-funded project "VALOR"
Post an EU jobBelgrade has asked all former Yugoslav republics, including those with whom it waged war in the 1990s, to help it to restore its membership and leading status in the Non-Aligned Movement, the region's press reports.
During the Cold War, Yugoslavia enjoyed considerable international prestige thanks to its pivotal role in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The country was courted both by East and West, attracted a lot of investment, and was seen - until former Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito's death in 1980 - as an economic and political success story.
Following Yugoslavia's disintegration in the wake of successive wars, its former republics all turned towards NATO. But Serbia is the only the former Yugoslav republic not to have aspired to NATO membership.
One reason for this could be the 1999 bombings by NATO of Serbian military and civilian targets, including in Belgrade, in response to ethnic cleansing and atrocities carried out by the Serbian army in Kosovo. Several blunders by NATO air forces, resulting in civilian deaths, helped consolidate strong anti-NATO feelings among Serbs.
Of the former Yugoslav republics, Slovenia became a NATO member in 2004 and Croatia in 2009. Macedonia was scheduled to join NATO together with Croatia, but its accession was prevented by a still-unresolved 'name conflict' with Greece (EurActiv 04/04/09).
Montenegro, which became the last former Yugoslav republic to secede from Serbia in 2006, is a candidate for NATO membership. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a special case, as it officially aspires to join NATO, but in fact still needs Western peace-keepers as it is at risk of ethnic partition (EurActiv 02/02/09).
Vuk Jeremic, Serbia's foreign minister, has invited his counterparts from the former Yugoslav republics to meet in New York at the end of September and agree to jointly hold a summit of the non-aligned countries in 2011, the press in Belgrade revealed, quoting diplomatic sources.
Serbia's invitation to all the former Yugoslav republics represents an attempt by Serbia to end its isolation in the region following the ethnic conflicts of the 1990s, and to build on prestige gained in old times, diplomats told EurActiv.
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an international organisation of states which consider themselves not formally aligned to the world's major powers, including Europe and the United States. It was founded in April 1955 largely in an attempt to thwart the Cold War.
Since the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, NAM lost its relevance. During successive wars in the former Yugoslavia, Serbia lost its NAM membership. All the former Yugoslav republics have now left the organisation and most aspire to NATO and European Union membership. However, some have attended NAM summits as observers or 'guests'.
At the invitation of Serbia, foreign ministers from the ex-Yugoslav republic would meet during the UN General Assembly session, in the building of the former mission of Yugoslavia, which is now occupied by Serbia.
The Belgrade daily Blic quotes from the letter by Jeremic: "That meeting is to mark an important part of our mutual history for the purpose of further affirmation and welfare of us all," the minister wrote.
Montenegrin minister Milan Roćen welcomed the Serbian initiative, the Tanjug agency reported. Bosnia was said to be preparing a positive response. Macedonia also acknowledged receipt of the letter, but its minister Antonio Milososki has not yet answered it as he is too busy, the Macedonian daily Dnevnik reported. The daily indicates that the "coldest" reaction so far came from Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar. Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic is reported to be preparing a response for his Serbian counterpart, the HINA agency announced.
It would be difficult to imagine current NATO members Slovenia and Croatia, as well as aspirant countries such as Macedonia, co-sponsoring a non-aligned summit, a diplomat from the region told this website.
He added that Belgrade's aim was probably limited in scope, representing a desire to secure full integration into the non-aligned movement and sending out a signal that the country will stay away from NATO.
The first president of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), from 1961 to 1964, was Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito. Yugoslavia played a pivotal role in the organisation until the late 1980s, but lost its membership following the country's disintegration.
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Hungary
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Turkey
Del.icio.us
Digg It
Technorati
News: 
Europeans challenge Europe
Evropa.dnevnik.bg:
EurActiv.cz:
EurActiv.de:
EurActiv.fr:
EurActiv.hu:
EurActiv.pl:
EurActiv.ro:
EurActiv.sk:
EurActiv.com.tr: