Zivadin Jovanovic President of Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of FR of Yugoslavia 1998-2000
Belgrade, February 5th, 2021.

First online Summit of 17CEEC+China
Interview to Dr. Ren Yan, European Correspondent of “People’s Daily”

Q. What expectations do you have for the coming summit of China and central and eastern European nations?

R. As we are approaching full decade of operation of 17CEEC+China format of cooperation it is logic to expect that forthcoming on-line Summit on the invitation of the President Xi Jinping will affirm all major achievements of cooperation, its’ great contribution to the strengthening of strategic EU-China partnership and to the implementation of the global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It will open new avenues of cooperation in line with new realities and needs. In this regard the Summit will certainly pay particular attention to cooperation and coordination aimed at achieving control over Covid 19 pandemic being unprecedented global danger, as well as to reinforce cooperation in the field of health, in general.

I am convinced that the Summit will also produce ideas and proposals how to efficiently cope with the socio-economic, financial and other serious consequences of Covid 19 pandemic, how to revive the pace of economic development and how to adjust overall 17+1 cooperation to the new circumstances. It is good opportunity to note that 17+1 cooperation format has proved in practice to be integral part of EU-China strategic partnership and that recent signing of Investment Agreement between EU and China offers stable legal base for expansion of that cooperation.

The 17+1 Summit will demonstrate that only by solidarity, new initiatives, win-win cooperation and adjustments to the new realities, international community can overcome any difficulty and create a vision of the common future for humanity.

Q. What role has the Cooperation Framework played in promoting economic development in the region and relationship of China and the region?

R. 17CEEC+China format of cooperation should be observed as the bridge between Europe and Asia making Euro-Asia space interconnected by modern and efficient infrastructure, facilitating growth of trade, development and people to people connectivity. It is also, important part of the global China-EU partnership which recently received new strategic incentive by signing of the EU-China Agreement on Investment. This cooperation format has helped greatly to speedier economic growth of all member countries by facilitating trade, investments, people to people exchange. It has improved bilateral communication and cooperation between the member countries as well as between CEEC and other countries along the Silk and Road. Finally, it has helped internal EU efforts to diminish the gap in levels of socioeconomic development between CEEC and countries of western parts of EU.

In the midst of the straggle to establish control of pandemic, with efforts to preserve economies from further erosion and open perspective for normalization and regaining stable growth as soon as possible, there is growing interest for intensification of cooperation within 17+1 format. Therefore, the initiative of the President Xi Jinping is welcome and timely. Whenever there is important challenge, or difficulty the best is to bring new initiatives, open new perspectives and it is exactly what China does now.

Q. What significance does the summit have in the situation of pandemic

R. Having regard to the great achievements of Chinese science and the health sector in making China the first country in the world which succeeded in establishing full control over pandemic and in normalizing socio-economic development, the Summit will be excellent opportunity for all participants to receive first hand information, exchange experiences and plan future activities in a more efficient and coordinated way.

Q. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Serbia and China cooperated closely to fight against the epidemic. Could you please give some examples to show the mutual support and help in combating the epidemic?

R. China was the first country to help Serbia in fighting the pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic in the spring last year, the air bridge Belgrade-Beijing was established expeditiously transporting and delivering specialists, medicaments, humanitarian assistance and equipment. Two modern diagnostic centers equipped by Chinese suppliers have been set up (Nis and Belgrade) processing about 20.000 tests per day. China is Serbia’s number one supplier of anti-Covid 19 vaccines. I am sure that Serbia’s president Aleksandar Vucic will express sincere gratitude of our citizens to China and president Xi Jinping for their solidarity and enormous assistance which helped Serbia to be among the most successful countries in the world in fighting pandemic.

Q. Several years ago, Chinese president Xi Jinping made a successful visit to Servbia. How do you see the fruit of the visit?

R. Serbia and China have longstanding relations of friendship, cooperation without any precondition, mutual respect and trust. They support each other in the international arena, first of all in the UN, in defending principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, sovereign equality and noninterference.
The visit of the President Xi Jinping to Serbia in 2016 was historic one, indeed. Among many documents signed at the time, the most important is one on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.  Many strategic projects have been completed by now, many more are in the process of implementation. Let it be noted that Hesteel Co. runs the largest Steel factory in Serbia (Smederevo) with over 5.000 employees. Because of this factory, but not only, the two countries call themselves – steel partners. Zijin Co. operates Copper and Gold Mine (Bor), being the largest mine of the kind in Europe. CRBC has constructed several important bridges over Danube and Sava rivers. Shandong Co. is constructing one of the largest tire factories in Europe (Zrenjanin), while Yanfeng Co. started production of car parts in Kragujevac and so on.
Chinese companies are engaged in construction of strategic railways and highways connecting Serbia with European corridors and with countries of the region. The bright example is construction under way of the high speed railway Belgrade-Budapest (380km) which is expected to be operational by 2024. These projects help Serbia materialize its favorable geographic position being the bridge country in Land and Sea Express Line from Mediterranean Sea to Western Europe, Baltic and Northern Sea. Serbia also participates in the Three Seas and Inland water Ports cooperation (Tienjin Initiative).
Two Industrial Parks are also in construction (Belgrade and Nis). Last week CRBC has signed several agreements on construction of essential communal networks valued at 3,2 billion euro. Serbia’s export has been also growing encompassing, as of recently, pork meat, maize, wines and spirits thus diminishing imbalance with high imports from China.
Our cooperation in the fields o telecommunications, security and defense is also improving in spite of some power centers suspicion and even criticism of so called “malign influences of China and Russia”. Our cooperation serves best interests of Serbia and China and never is directed against interests of any third country.
Since the President Xi Jinping’s visit two countries have mutually abolished visas for tourists and business persons. Cultural, scientific, people to people exchanges are also growing.

Q. How do you see the role of multilateralism in dealing with the global crisis like the current pandemic?  

R. In the era of globalization, modern communication, interconnectivity and mutual dependency multilateralism has become “sine qua non” of the common future of mankind and its prosperity. Global governance, global security, global economic growth, global environment, global space and many other areas of vital importance to common future of mankind are unthinkable without further improvement of multilateralism. Covid 19 pandemic being the global enemy of the whole humanity has clearly shown the need for human solidarity, inclusive multilateral cooperation and coordination free of any prejudices, regardless of any political divergences, religions, races, military might, or levels of socio-economic development. In fact, pandemic has reminded us that multilateralism is essential feature of humanism. Pandemic does not recognize who thinks what of oneself but what we all do jointly.
Covid 19 pandemic has lectured us that it is self damaging to think or behave inwardly, selfishly, or of being exceptional. At the time of the global calamity nobody can pretend to be self-sufficient. Hopefully, we have learned by now that the way to common success leads through respecting equality and helping oneself through helping the others. That acceptance of multilateralism based on equitable, inclusive governance, under UN umbrella, has no better alternative. If UN, WHO, or any other global forum, should be improved, adjusted or reformed to better deal with future challenges, let it be done so, but we must not let those institutions be underestimated, neglected or paralyzed.