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World > Europe
> Serbia and Montenegro> Foreign Relations (Notes)parent directory weezer
| Serbia and Montenegro - Foreign Relations (Notes) |
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FOREIGN RELATIONS
From the breakup of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia in 1989, the foreign policy of the F.R.Y. was characterized primarily by a desire to secure its political and geopolitical position and the solidarity of ethic Serbs in the Balkan region through a strong nationalist campaign. The F.R.Y. supported and exploited the expansion of violent conflicts--in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and its own province, Kosovo--in order to advance its policies. Since October 2000, the F.R.Y./Serbia and Montenegro has all but eliminated its nationalist rhetoric and has worked to stabilize and strengthen its bilateral relationships with neighboring countries. In 2002, F.R.Y. resolved its longstanding border dispute with Macedonia and established full diplomatic relations with its neighbor and former adversary Croatia.
Also in 2002, the F.R.Y. Government established a commission to coordinate cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and began serving warrants for the arrest of indicted war criminals who sought refuge in the country. The crackdown on organized crime following the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Djindjic also resulted in the apprehension and transfer to The Hague of several persons indicted for war crimes. A number of persons indicted for war crimes remain at large, and Serbia has not yet met all of its ICTY obligations.
Immediately preceding the NATO bombing campaign of the F.R.Y. in spring 1999, the U.S. and most European countries severed relations with the F.R.Y., and the U.S. Embassy was closed. Since October 5, 2000, foreign embassies, including that of the U.S., have reopened, and the F.R.Y./Serbia and Montenegro has regained its seat in such international organizations as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the UN and is actively participating inInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank projects. In 2003, Serbia and Montenegro was admitted to the Council of Europe and indicated its wish to join NATO's Partnership for Peace.
Foreign Aid
Subsequent to the outbreak of hostilities between NATO and the F.R.Y. in 1999, Belgrade received no foreign aid from the United States and other west European countries. Since October 2000, however, European Union aid has steadily increased, and U.S. restrictions on aid fell away as the F.R.Y./Serbia and Montenegro stepped forward to meet its international obligations. In June 2003, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was able to certify that Serbia and Montenegro's relationship with the Republika Srpska was consistent with the Dayton Accords, had released all political prisoners, and was cooperating with ICTY. On March 31, 2004, Secretary Powell declined to certify to Congress that Serbia and Montenegro are fully cooperating with the ICTY, thus halting new assistance in fiscal year 2004 to Serbia, but not to Montenegro.
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