Greens MEPs to Borrell: Serbia arms program violates SAA

Stephanie Lecocq/Pool via REUTERS

Greens MEPs said in a letter to European Union High Representative Josep Borrell that they believe Serbia’s armament program violates the Stabilization and Association Agreement.

The MEPs expressed concern over Serbia’s procurement of weapons systems from Russia and China as well as the fact that it had not aligned with EU sanctions against Russia. “In addition, its government has not even condemned the Russian war of aggression and the vast number of atrocities and war crimes committed by Russian armed forces in Ukraine,” the letter said.

In our view, Serbia’s armament program violates both, the GFAP and the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), in particular with regard to Article 5 of the SAA and Annex III of the Council conclusions of 29 and 30 April 1997.

The letter warned that “European security order is under direct attack from President Putin’s Russia”. “It is, therefore, of utmost importance that there is a strong and united response of all those who stand for democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms,” it added.

The MEPs expressed doubt about “whether Serbia is really interested in joining the political Union of the EU” because of its policy on China. It recalled the recent delivery of Chinese AA missile systems to Serbia. “The strategic decision to purchase this system and to have it delivered in the middle of Europe’s most severe security crisis raises very important and serious questions about a) whether Serbia really wants EU political integration, and b) for what military purposes it needs such a system as it is geographically surrounded by EU, and NATO- or EU-associated countries,” the letter said. The MEPs said they are also concerned about Serbia’s purchas of major Russian weapons systems. “These deliveries risk to undermine the regional security order in the Western Balkans,” they said.

The MEPs called Borrel to raise the actions of the Serbian government at the next Foreign Affairs Council, in particular Serbian military objectives, and hold frank and direct talks with the Serbian President on Serbia’s short, medium and long-term military strategies and whether the country is willing and ready for alignment in foreign affairs and security with the EU or not, the letter said.