The minimum you must know

Serbia is a very stable peace-loving democracy that borders Bosnia and Herzegovina, which needed peace from 1992 to 1995, when a historic conflict that broke up former Yugoslavia culminated in tremendous losses of life in Srebrenica and Kosovo, including for ethnic Serbians. Bosnia and Herzegovina have been at peace since then. And Serbia has flourished.

About fifteen years later in 2009, Serbia applied for European Union membership, and was granted EU candidate status shortly thereafter in 2013. The European Union subsequently entered into a "Stabilization and Association Agreement" with Serbia. Serbia has one of the strongest economies in the region, and is likely to finalize its participation in the European Union as a result.

Serbia has been at peace with all other countries for three decades. Serbia was never part of Russia but clearly enjoys very friendly diplomatic relations. And Serbia trades openly with both Ukraine and Russia. This writer believes European Union countries may soon follow Serbia's lead and trade openly with both sides as well. President Aleksandar Vučić said in the fourth quarter of 2024 that he believes this is the right thing to do. He used his annual 4th quarter 2024 United Nations address to eloquently pattern "peace," and to call for peaceful diplomatic resolutions in Ukraine and Israel.

Europe will have to decide on whether to consider Kosovo part of Serbia or not when admitting the country to the European Union. This may become a complicated question because Kosova declared independence from Serbia in 2008, and gained recognition as sovereign by slightly more than a majority of the countries at the United Nations, according to the media. Serbia allows the separation to some extent by tolerating and independent Kosovo government. But Serbia views Kosovo as Serbian territory. Kosovo filed independently to join the European Union in 2022.

Serbia is at peace with all other countries.