"Spain's strong message for Europe - Pedro Sanchez to visit region, including Belgrade, and bypass Pristina"

Photo: Pixabay, Tanjug/AP

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will be visiting Belgrade on Friday and Saturday, July 29 and 30, and it will be the first visit by a Spanish prime minister after several decades, and therefore a historic one.

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Sanchez will be in Belgrade as part of his tour of the Western Balkans, during which he will also visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania, Tanjug reported - i.e. Belgrade, as well as Sarajevo and Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Podgorica, Skopje and Tirana, the portal Kosovo Online writes.

Last November President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic said during the Climate Summit held in Glasgow that he had invited Sanchez to visit Serbia and that the Spanish prime minister had accepted it.

"I invited our Spanish friend Pedro Sanchez to visit Serbia and I promised him that he would be greeted with great hospitality and friendship of the Serbian people because of everything he does in defense of the territorial integrity of our country, but also the support he provides to us on the European path," Vucic said at the time.

Photo: Tanjug/AP

Vucic also said that Sanchez accepted the invitation, and that the visit will be historic in every sense.

"Because, believe it or not, no Spanish prime minister has visited Serbia in several decades," stated Vucic.

As reported by the media, Sanchez decided to "reactivate, revive and revitalize (EU) enlargement process" for the countries in the Western Balkans, and it should be noted that when it comes to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, Spain adheres to the principle of not recognizing Kosovo as independent.

Former diplomat Zoran Milivojevic says that Sanchez will visit the region, including Belgrade, with the exception of Pristina, which, he says, shows Spain's clear principled position that it continues not to recognize Kosovo's self-proclaimed independence, which is an important signal for Serbia.

"This is an important message for the rest of Europe as well. Such a principled stance is the basis of the Spanish policy when it comes to the region," Milivojevic told Telegraf.rs.

He said that the visit shows Spain's interest in the region and to actively participate in the EU integration process for the Western Balkans.

Photo: Tanjug/Sava Radovanović

"The dissatisfaction of the countries in the Western Balkans and the delaying of the enlargement process are certainly an important motive for all the countries of the European Union, including for Spain. In this sense, we should expect a more active Spanish position, which is very important. Spain is one of the largest countries in the EU, certainly an influential one, and in this sense, it is important to take the process of European integration to a higher level and establish a balance with geopolitical interests that have become pronounced with the preference given to the eastern policy regarding Ukraine and Moldova," said Milivojevic.

Milivojevic recalled that the EU high representative for foreign policy and enlargement is a Spaniard who comes from the Socialist Party of Spain, as well as Sanchez, and that he sees a complementarity of interests.

"Spain wants to join the countries that are advocating for continued enlargement process and for giving equal chances to the Western Balkans in relation to the eastern policy, regardless of the priorities concerning geopolitical interests due to the conflict in Ukraine," he stated.

When it comes to bilateral relations, according to Milivojevic, the visit will contribute to their further strengthening and confirm the strategic interest of both countries make those ties more dynamic.

Photo: Pixabay

Milivojevic concluded that topics concerning Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Spain's support for EU integration, as well as economic relations between the two countries, i.e. their new dynamics, will come to the fore.

President Vucic visited Madrid in February, and said at the time it was clear that Spain would not recognize Kosovo and that it would continue to respect international law and the territorial integrity of Serbia.

Vucic told journalists that the purchase of two transport planes had been agreed and announced that Spanish officials would be visiting Belgrade.

(Telegraf.rs)