Belarus–Serbia relations
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 Belarus |
 Serbia |
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On December 31, 1991, SFR Yugoslavia recognized Belarus by the decision on the recognition of the former republics of the USSR.
Belarus has an embassy in Belgrade. Serbia has an embassy in Minsk.
History
[edit]The important stimulus for closer economic and cultural cooperation, and also for the development of tourism, is the visa-free regime which has been in force between Belarus and Serbia since 2000. Serbian artists regularly take part in the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk and have won several awards over the years.
The contract-legal basis of cooperation of Belarus and Serbia includes 20 signed agreements which cover almost all areas of bilateral interests.
I know Serbia wonderfully. I was there more than once. I know the history and sentiments of the people of Serbia. After all, Serbia originated in Kosovo. In Kosovo, there are Serbian sacred sites.
— Alexander Lukashenko, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (2008)[1]
Following the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, Serbia signed the Declaration initiated by the European Union rejecting the election results and criticizing crackdown against those protesting.[2]
Serbian businessman Dragomir Karić is the honorary consul of the Republic of Belarus in Belgrade.[3]
On October 30, 2023, Belarusian filmmaker Andrey Gnyot was arrested when he landed in Belgrade as he was on an Interpol warrant list. He is accused by the Belarusian authorities of tax evasion and issued an extradition request.[4] During the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Gnyot co-founded the Free Association of Athletes (SOS-BY), bringing together athletes opposed to the Lukashenko regime. He spent seven months in detention in Belgrade before being transferred to house arrest in June 2024. Amnesty International called on the Serbian authorities to cease the extradition process.[5]
Trade
[edit]In 2006, Belarusian exports to Serbia were tractors, potash fertilizers, salt, ferrous metal, twisted wires and cotton fabric. Serbian exports to Belarus were pipes, rubber hoses and sleeves, synthetic polymer paints and varnishes, rough-grinding machine tools, honing machines, and modular machines for metal processing. Belarus and Serbia signed a free trade agreement in 2009.[6][7]
| Period | Belarusian export | Serbian export |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 16.4 million USD | 7.6 million USD |
| 2003 | 17.2 | 4.8 |
| 2004 | 27.4 | 7.7 |
| 2005 | 35.1 | 12.3 |
| 2006 | 16.6 | 20.9 |
| 2007 | 32.7 | 21.2 |
| 2008 | 41.4 | 23.4 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Interview of President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko for the Financial Times and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Serbia Surprisingly Joins EU in Condemnation of Belarus Vote". The New York Times. 27 August 2020.
- ^ "On the Ceremony of Handing the Patent to the Honorary Consul of Belarus in Belgrade Mr.Dragomir Karic". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus. September 2, 2013.
- ^ "Lawyer of Belarus Activist Trapped in Serbia: Indictment is Pure Politics". Balkan Insight. 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Serbia: Activist Andrei Gnyot must not be extradited to Belarus". Amnesty International. 27 June 2024.
- ^ Belarus, Serbia sign intergovernmental free trade agreement Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Serbia and Belarus signed Agreement on free trade". Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
External links
[edit]- Bilateral relations with Belarus, Serbian MFA
- Bilateral relations with Serbia[permanent dead link], Belarusian MFA
- Embassy of Serbia in Minsk
- Serbian MFA: list of bilateral treaties with Belarus
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