Neighbours' Moves Towards NATO Test Serbia's Neutrality

Serbian military experts are warning that government in Belgrade will one day have to re-consider its doctrine of military neutrality as neighbours in the Balkans join, or come closer to joining, the Western military alliance.

Foreign policy analyst Bosko Jaksic said that Serbia's military neutrality was always a somewhat problematic concept because "while Switzerland and Austria are [generally] recognized by other countries [as neutral], Serbia's [neutrality] is not recognized," Jaksic told BIRN.

The majority of Balkan states in Serbia's vicinity are now already members of NATO - Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia and - most recently - Montenegro.

The fall of the nationalist government in Macedonia has meanwhile brought to power a more pro-NATO administration.

"Our proclaimed military neutrality is only creating problems because it [Serbia] doesn't have that status, which is only causing suspiciousness on all sides," Jaksic said, adding that the evolving situation in the region is further undermining the idea of continued neutrality.

Local realities are shifting. Macedonia's new Social Democrat Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev, on May 12 met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and discussed the possibility of removing the remaining obstacles on Macedonia's NATO accession.

One week earlier, Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic officially handed over the NATO accession document at a ceremony in Washington, after which his small Adriatic republic became the 29th member of the club.

Military expert Aleksandar Radic told Beta news agency on June 5 that as both Bosnia and Macedonia adopt increasingly pro-NATO stances, Serbia may have to re-think its neutrality, not least because many Serbs - in...