No. 25 ● May 2009
NATO – YES OR NO? (2)
Early April discreet raising of the «Defense» of Russia issue of the military security position of Serbia (after Croatia and Decision about that Albania became full members of engagement was taken by the Serb NATO), 1 seems to have triggered off government within the framework of a major alarm among the influential Partnership for Peace in December members of the conservative block. 2008. Then the proposal of Urging of few politicians, analysts Individual Program of partnership and commentators that Serbia between Serbia and Partnership for should re assess all aspects and Peace for 2009 and 2010, envisaging angles of its controversial military also deployment of the officers in neutrality (Declaration of Serb Georgia, was adopted. 3 However in Parliament adopted in December mid April in Belgrade have arrived 2007 during the tenure of Prime the Moscow news that Russia was Minister Vojislav Koštunice) from energetically opposing NATO the standpoint of regional milieu manouevres in the Caucasian and its own European future, was region. Russian President Medvedev interpreted as the start of the then stated that such a conduct did campaign for Serbia's accession to not contribute to the renewal of co NATO. 2 And the motive for the operation between the alliance and backlash against that unproven Moscow. 4 Dimitri Rogozin, intiative, was the announced permanent representative of Russia participation of the two Serb officers with NATO, then stated: «... From in the NATO manouvres in Georgia, the standpoint of Russia, from the in May June period. standpoint of Georgia, and from the standpoint of a large part of the 1 www. helsinki org.rs 2 Miroslav Lazanski, «Discreet Charm 3Danas , 22 April 2009. of Photography», Politika , 20 April 2009. 4Politika , 22. April 2009.
1 world, such kind of a military game Serbia has branded with a dirty must be considered as the one of an NATO seal the face of the Serb openly provocative character.» He peope.» 7 went on to note that the August Author Bosko Obradovic, 2008 war in South Ossetia was Secretary of the Management Board preceded by military drills of the of the Serb Assembly Dveri stated North Atlantic Alliance. 5 that «on the symbolical and real plane Serbia's entry into NATO shall adversely affect relations with Russia.» He then went on to assert that the existence of political parties with a hostile attitude towards Russia was not comrehensible: «Are these domestic forces part of a broader strategic process of enclosing and suppressing Russia? The foregoing shall surely affect us. Have we assessed the price of this easy joining the Euro Atlantic
wave...we can drown in it, especially Response of Moscow caused since we had in advance renounced quite a stir in Belgrade. Thus the possibility of looking for Milorad Vucelic, in an editorial of his salvation on the other coast.» weekly Pecat, wrote: »Who gave a Obradovic openly opposes Serbia's mandate to the Serb power mongers membership of the EU on the to make a bid for Serbia's NATO following ground:» How shall we be membership...and thus violate their able to maintain special relations own constitution, history of the Serb with Russia, when we shall have to people and Resolution on the take part in every manifestation of 8 military neutrality of the Serb joint policy of the EU.» Parliament. No one in Serbia is President of Democratic Party entitled to send soliders and officers of Serbia, former Prime Minister, to take part in NATO campaigns Vojislav Koštunica, after a joint anywhere, and notably campaigns meeting with President of the Serb against Russia. That weekly Democratic Party from Republika dedicated to the supposed Srpska, Mladen Bosić, sharply deployment of the two officers the condemned announcement that whole issue, under a dramatic Serbia would take part in NATO headline «Serbia in the Eastern manouvres in Georgia: «Serb officers Front.» 6 According to Vučelić, that have never in the country's history act of co operation within the taken part in conflicts in the East or 9 framework of Partnership for Peace went near the Russian borders.» is a shame, humiliation and «Defense of Russia» public national and state treason: «While mood which was intentionally moving along 'the European road' created nearly silenced proponents Serbia through NATO reaches the and advocates of different Eastern front... Everybody in Serbia viewpoints. The spin off of that can see that the incumbent media campaign was a host of authorities are doing their utmost to public opinion polls and surveys, facilitate Serbia's entry into NATO, dominated by demands that the in a stealthy, creeping way, against government of Serbia change its the will of the Serb people... By decision and renounce deployment acting so the incumbent regime in of the two officers in the Caucasian
7 Idem 5Idem. 8 Idem 6Pečat , 24 April 2009. 9 Danas , 22 April 2009.
2 region. Thus daily Danas ,10 ran the notewrothy that the Russian following statement of a recearcher Ambassador in Belgrade, of the Centre for Civilian Military Aleksandar Konuzin, had been Relations, Djordje Popović: «Since informed of the nature of the said the strategic goal of Serbia is decision several days ahead of its preservation of Kosovo and Metohija adoption, while the NATO officials within the framework of Serbia and were informed of the government's in view of the fact that in that effort decision only after the pertinent Serbia relies heavily on the support session. Subsequently the Serb of Russia, I don't know how good Foreign Secretary Vuk Jeremic made would it be for us to take part in a public statement: »We decided not those manouvres, which are to take part in something assessed tantamount to direct confrontation as a security threat to Russia.» 13 with Russia.» President of the Thus the NATO manouvres in Atlantic Alliance of Serbia, Vladan Georgia began on the 6th of May Živulović stated that «Serbia's without rerpesentatives of the Serb participation in NATO manouvres army. The Serb Defense Secretary was not realistic.» Dragan Šutanovac then stated the According to Professor of the following: «We think that the Army of Security Faculty, Dr. Milan Serbia would not draw sufficient Mijalkovski, Serbia should not take benefits from participating in such a part in the international manouvres drill. Decision on participation of in Georgia for it would be officers was taken in early 2008, tantamount «to putting a finger in that is before the war in Georgia. Russia's eye». 11 Ministry of Defense and the Serb However, in his extensive Army did not have a foreknowledge intervew to daily Borba, Djordje of that drill.» 14 Popovic from the Centre from Civilian Military Relations, espoused Alleged disagreement between a totally different view point from Šutanovac and Jeremic the one who had floated, several days earlier in an interview to daily Despite a host of pertinent, Danas . After expressing his opinion official statements, it still remains that a final decision on the unclear who was behind the aforementioned participation should initiative that the two officers of the be taken by the government in Serb Army be sent to Georgia: Serbia, after taking into Ministry of Foreign Affairs or consideration dissatisfaction of Ministry of Defense. But regardless Russia, he shed light on the other of the foregoing one gets the aspect of that, essentially «benign» impression that the said debate decision: «This is a good drill for our brought to the fore simmering army, since after so many years of animosities and misunderstandings absence from the international within the largest member of the security scene, this would be a good ruling coalition, Democratic Party, opportunity for our officers to that is an alleged rift between the familiarize with new technological Defense Secretary, Dragan standards and be in company of Šutanovac and Head of Diplomacy, 1,300 soldiers from the countries, Vuk Jeremić, or between the members of NATO». 12 «cabinet» and «party» of President of And finally the government of the Republic, Boris Tadić. Serbia on its 30 April 2009 decided Before the news about the not to take part in the NATO aforementioned disagreement was manouvres in Georgia. It is leaked, demands for replacement of
10 Danas , 10 April 2009. 13 According to Standard , 1 May 2009. 11 Borba , 28 April 2009. 14 Borba , 7 May 2009. 12 Borba, 12 April 2009.
3 Defense Secretary, Dragan According to the same quotation, the Šutanovac, were made public. Thus Serb Foreign Affairs Ministry at the in the aforementioned issue of same time informed the Defense weekly Pečat, Aleksandar Vulin, Ministry of its proposal not to deploy President of the Socialists' any officers in Georgia. 17 If there Movement pathetically stated the was any misunderstanding, it was following: «Dragan Šutanovac must hushed up by the official be dismissed, and his policy too. It explanation given by the state seems he cannot forgive Russia the secretary in the Defense Ministry, fact that it has not bombarded us, Dušan Spasojević, that «such a seized part of our territory, and misunderstanding was due to a strengthened every terrorists and bureaucratic mistake.» 18 enemy of Serbia. In order to convince Russia, our last great ally, that our Defense Minister is not speaking on behalf of Serbia, Defense Minister must resign.» 15 In the same issue of Pecat, a demand for replacement of Šutanovac, considered an advocate of Serbia's accession to the Euro Atlantic integrations, was also made by the Srpski sabor Dveri.
As regards the above story, which in all likelihood shall have its sequel, it is noteworthy that Politika's commentator Miroslav Lazanski, one of the most persistent detractors of the Defense Secretary, Dragan Šutanovic criticized even from having too often his photos But it turned out that the very taken with NATO officials and Minister Šutanovac in his letter to officers, and never with the Russian Prime Minister Cvetković, stated officers this time around sided with that «the Serb Defense Ministry the Serb Defense Ministry. Lazanski thinks that Serbia should not take thus noted that it was not fair only part in the drill in Georgia, because to criticize the Defense Ministry, for of the foreign policy situation in the «it was not the Serb Army only, but region of Caucasus» and asked rather the whole state of Serbia Prime Minister Cvetković to «propose which had acceded the program to the Foreign Ministry to alter its Partnership for Peace.» Lazanski decision on participation of added: «Added to an unpleasant, members of the Serb Army in the overall impression and unnecessary 16 NATO manouvres in Georgia.» explanations, it turned out that However, as Standard has learnt, some Foreign Ministry officials are the Foreign Affairs Ministry was gloating over any mistake made by perplexed by that letter, for the their counter parts in the Defence same demand had been already Ministry. Or perhaps poor made to Prime Minister Cvetkovic.
17 Idem 15 Pečat, 24 April 2009. 18 «Stanje nacije», Televizija B92 , 30 16 Standard, 1 May 2009. April 2009.
4 communication between the two should become the NATO member... ministries is more frequent than the That is why foreigners and their general public may deduce». 19 partners in Serbia act covertly, but in sync, without disclosing that their Debate is (suprisingly) open goal is to such Serbia into the NATO ranks.» 21 Over the past two months a Most conspicuous, dissenting public debate on NATO has gathered voice in that regard, was the one of momentum in Serbia. It was jump former head of diplomacy, president started with much bitterness during of the Serb Renewal Movement, (one the marking of the 10th anniversary of the members of the ruling of NATO's Kosovo related coalition, For European Serbia), Vuk intervention, and then continued, Drašković. In his interview to the with some markedly dissonant tones week end issue of daily Blic, he vis a vis the dominant anti NATO made clear his standpoint on that mood, when Albania and Croatia issue: «If Serbia does not want to became full members of the North join NATO, then it cannot join the Atlantic Treaty Organization. In EU. If NATO is a 'criminal parallel were made public official organization' with 'anti Serb' goals, disagreements over participation of as it is frequently wirtten and said the Serb officers in the military drill in Serbia, then we cannot take a in Georgia. Anti NATO mood is 'neutral' stance on that enemy of palpable in the public discourse. ours. Then we must send war NATO is labelled as «a criminal banners with Milosevic picture. If organization.» Suspicions were also NATO is an enemy of Serbs, then the voiced that the incumbent EU is also our enemy, for the vast authorities are covertly, «against the majority of EU member countries will of the Serb people» trying to are also members of NATO.» 22 make Serbia NATO's member. In one President of the Serb National of the texts ran by the Council from Kosovo, Rada aforementioned issue of weekly Trajković, puts Serbia's drawing Pečat, the following was alleged: closer to NATO in the context of «One fraction of the Serb protection of Serbs in Kosovo. government, spearheaded by the According to her «Serbia should Defense Secretary Dragan ponder its entry into NATO, for that Šutanovac, persistently strives to move could help us solve the issue push our state into the NATO ...to of security of population in Kosovo. that end he has reiterated that Serbia must work on the security North Atlantic integrations are a relaxation of people, for NATO has a guarantee of peace and stability in respectable military capacity which Serbia.» 20 may assist in a showdown with Author Aleksandar Nikitović, extremists on both sides.» 23 in the same issue of that weekly, Editor in chief of «Nedeljni heated up the well known thesis of Telegraf», Momčilo Djorgović, «a special role of Western forces in without declaring his opposition to creation of the incumbent or favouring of Serbia's NATO authorities in Belgrade.» He then membership, underscored the went on to assert the following: necessity for a strategic pondering in «Today their principal objective, after Serbia in the context of far reaching NATO aggression against Serbia and changes that have already happened unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's in the Balkans. Nearly all independence, is to obtain neighbouring countries of Serbia are agreement that what is left of Serbia 21 Idem 22 Blic , 26 April 2009. 19 Politika , 25 April 2009. 20 Pečat , 24 April 2009. 23 Borba , 21 April 2009.
5 in that military political alliance and By its eleventh hour that is an essentially new, not only a withdrawal from the envisaged security fact:«In Serbia we don't participation in the military drill in seem to be enough aware of the key Georgia, Serbia disappointed its changes which have happened partners in NATO. That conclusion around us. If there are any may be drawn from the words of the responses, they are negative and US Ambassador in Belgrade, demeaning with respect to the Cameron Munter, uttered in the decision of Croatia and Albania to program «Kažiprst» of Radio B 92: join NATO. Instead of feigning that «We had hoped that Serbia would nothing has happened, it would be participate in NATO manouvres.» 25 better for us to fully grasp the He then went on to note that the the meaning and far reaching effects of decision on non participation in any those changes and understand them case was a sovereign right of the as a challenge to which we must Serb authorities. immediately strategically respond, Those authorities also have regardless of our decision as to the responsibility to jump start a which side we shall favour...It will be serious and rational debate on the a great failure if we respond to new position of Serbia on all aspects of challenges by resorting to old process of Euro Atlantic policies and obsolete theories. It integrations. would be even worse if we block and destroy those political forces and options which open up possibilities for finding a new formula for Serbia.» 24
24 Nedeljni telegraf , 15 April 2009. 25 «Kažiprst», Radio B92 , 6 May 2009.
6