Press release - On Strategy of Serbian Foreign Policy
THE PILLARS ARE WITHIN, NOT OUT OF SERBIA

The Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals organized Roundtable on foreign policy and the international position of Serbia on 8 December 2009, in the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade. The speakers were experts in diplomacy and scholars in the areas of international economic, political and security developments, publicists, and journalists.
The participants shared common opinion that Serbia needs strategy of a balanced foreign policy. Special emphasis was put on the significance of economic and energy dimensions of the foreign policy and the economic diplomacy. The speakers supported the position of military neutrality of Serbia, and underlined the need for harmonizing political and military diplomacies.
Among the ideas and suggestions offered by the participants of this Roundtable, special attention was given to the position that the pillars of foreign policy should be seen within Serbia. The first of such pillars comprises internal cohesion, and political and social stability. The second is development and economical-technological power. The third pillar consists of defense and deterring armed forces. The final one comprises resources in science and culture.
Among the most interesting presentations was the intervention of Aleksandar Konuzin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Serbia. He spoke about the proposal of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for a new treaty on Eurasian-Atlantic security.
The speakers were as follows: Živadin Jovanović, former Yugoslav Foreign Affairs minister presented outlook of developments in the world, in Europe and in the Balkans. University professor Oskar Kovač elaborated economic dimension of foreign policy. Vladislav Jovanović, former Serbian and Yugoslav Foreign affairs minister, spoke about foreign policy and about national and state priorities. Dr Dragan Petrović addressed relations with Russia; Scientists Dr Dragan Miljanić and Dr Jordan Dinić discussed relations with China. University professor Dr. Čedomir Štrbac gave an overview of relations with the non-aligned countries. The issues related with military relationships, military neutrality and relations with NATO were presented by several speakers, Dr. Radovan Radinović, former general of VJ, Miroslav Lazanski,  military commentator of daily “Politika”,  Milen Simić, and Dr. Branko Krga, VJ Chief of staff until 2004, Dr. Dušan Vasić, diplomat, addressed the comparative treatment of foreign policy in the constitutions of the former Yugoslav republics.
The conclusion was accepted to place the material from this Roundtable at the disposal of the relevant state institutions.
The Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals as the organizer of this expert gathering will undertake to print the Report comprising all papers presented. In the meantime, individual presentation will be successively presented in word, audio and video formats on the Forum’s site at: www.beoforum.rs