As Serbia prepares for a new electoral cycle, it’s important that conditions allow for broad political participation and reinforce public confidence in the electoral process. In that regard, the implementation of OSCE/ODIHR recommendations related to elections in Serbia is critical. Some important laws pertaining to those recommendations were recently passed in the Serbian Assembly, which we evaluate positively. Switzerland is this year chairing the OSCE and sees the ODIHR recommendations as a practical roadmap to further strengthen the electoral framework, including election administration, the media environment and the transparency of the process ~ Anne Elisabeth Lugon-Moulin
The marking of 110 years of bilateral relations provided an opportunity to reflect on a partnership that today spans diplomacy, trade, innovation, climate cooperation and migration. Serbia is also one of the very few countries with which Switzerland has a migration partnership agreement, providing a framework for regular bilateral dialogue in that field.
Your Excellency, this year marks the 110th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Serbia. How would you assess the state of those bilateral relations today?
— We recognised each other during the difficult times of the First World War, which was a strong sign of solidarity and trust. Those bonds have evolved over time into a steadfast partnership, characterised by dialogue, mutual respect and shared commitment. Over the past 110 years, the two countries have maintained diplomatic ties that have developed into a broad and multifaceted partnership. Our cooperation today extends from diplomacy and trade to education, migration and culture, as examples. There has been an acceleration of high-level bilateral visits over the last two and a half years. The Swiss President’s visit to Serbia this April was the epitome of our lasting friendship.
Another important dimension of our relationship is the strong connection between our people. The Serbian community in Switzerland, which numbers around 130,000 people and is among the largest diaspora communities in the country, represents an important bridge between our two societies. The 50 flights per week that connect Zurich, Geneva and Basel with Belgrade and Niš reflect the closeness of those ties.
During April’s official visit to Serbia of President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin, Switzerland described Serbia as its most important partner in the Western Balkans. What does that mean in practical terms?
— Stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans are a priority of Swiss foreign policy. We support efforts that strengthen resilience, foster dialogue and contribute to lasting stability and security in the region. At this time of international uncertainty, stable and predictable relations are particularly valuable.
Since 1995, Switzerland has invested more than three billion euros in the Western Balkans, as part of its international cooperation efforts. The countries of the region have made significant progress in terms of security, the development of democratic institutions and economic growth. Where stability grows, trust and economic opportunities grow as well. Serbia is today Switzerland’s most important economic partner in the Western Balkans, and that’s not surprising given that the country functions as a hub of the region for many entities. More than 600 Swiss companies have a presence here; direct investments have totalled around 2.3 billion euros over the past decade, while bilateral trade flows surpassed the one-billion-euro mark for the first time in 2024.
Stable and predictable relations are particularly valuable at a time of international uncertainty
This description reflects the depth of our economic bilateral relations. We also enjoy very good cooperation across a wide range of other areas. I will highlight a few examples: in the education sector, Switzerland helped put in place a vocational education system. With regard to innovation and in an effort to boost the Serbian ecosystem, an agreement worth 10 million euros was signed during the President’s visit as an additional support package to what we’ve already done over more than ten years. In the migration sector, Serbia is one of the very few countries with which Switzerland has a so-called “partnership” agreement, which entails a regular dialogue and support to various projects.
President Parmelin’s April visit provided an opportunity to discuss how Switzerland and Serbia can build on this existing cooperation, particularly in areas where we see clear potential for further engagement and where our respective experience and expertise can complement each other. With a newly launched bilateral human rights dialogue, we are taking another important step.
Switzerland has maintained a strong presence in Serbia for decades, with its support evolving from humanitarian assistance to fostering innovation and strengthening good governance. What would you highlight as the key priorities of the Switzerland–Serbia Cooperation Programme for 2026–2029?
— Switzerland was one of the few donor countries to start its long-term humanitarian/international cooperation presence during the wars of the 1990s. For decades, we have supported Serbia’s reform efforts, its economic development and its sustainable transformation. Our commitment reflects our belief in the country’s potential and in our shared future.
The 2026–29 Cooperation Programme for Serbia focuses on democratic governance, economic development, climate change and sustainable urban development. As a worldwide leader of innovation, we can bring specific expertise regarding what works and foster valuable connections. With our new Swiss-Serbian Innovation Programme, we envisage more additional capacity building activities, the launching of a grant scheme to better commercialise research with the Innovation Fund, and the continuation of our longstanding cooperation with Science and Technology Park Belgrade.
Key elements of our private sector development portfolio of projects include support to Serbian small and medium-sized enterprises, boosting SMEs’ access to international markets, improvements to the business environment and sound public financial management, as well as sustainable urban planning. Supporting the green transition – with a focus on the decarbonisation of the economy, energy efficiency and climate adaptation measures – is another important pillar of our activities. Within the framework of previous engagements, Switzerland contributed to improving local service delivery and strengthened democratic governance in more than 50 per cent of Serbia’s municipalities. Empowering local governments and encouraging citizen participation has therefore been one of our lines of action for many years.
With reference to last year’s record levels of bilateral trade, which exceeded a billion euros, President Parmelin noted that attracting Swiss companies to Serbia depends on the rule of law, fair legal procedures, and open and transparent public procurement processes. How would you assess Serbia’s progress in these areas?
— Trade relations between Switzerland and Serbia continue to grow, with bilateral trade in goods reaching €1.1 billion and services €1.6 billion last year, making Switzerland Serbia’s fourth largest trading partner in services. There has been an existing free trade agreement between our countries for more than a decade. Between 2010 and 2025, Swiss companies invested around €2.6 billion in Serbia, creating around 23,000 jobs in the process. Serbia remains an attractive market, but continued progress on the rule of law, judicial efficiency, regulatory predictability and open public procurement processes would further strengthen investor confidence and attract even more Swiss companies. Switzerland has based its own prosperity on sound economic framework conditions, like free and fair competition, open markets, the multilateral order and the rule of law. We believe that, for small countries, those conditions are integral parts of a conducive environment.
There are reports from Washington that some countries might reduce their military presence in Kosovo. Is Switzerland considering a similar move, given that your soldiers are part of the KFOR mission (Swisscoy)?
— Switzerland’s position is that KFOR remains important for security and stability. The current 215 Swiss military personnel deployed in the Swisscoy mission is our contribution to this joint international endeavour. That mandate runs until 31st December 2026, but the Swiss Federal Council has submitted a request to the Swiss Parliament to keep Swisscoy active in Kosovo, and even to increase our contingent up to 300 persons. The Parliament approved this request in June. Therefore, Switzerland will increase its military presence in Kosovo, rather than decreasing it.
How would you assess the current state of media freedom and political pluralism in Serbia, at a time when the country is preparing for a new election cycle?
— Political pluralism is central to the credibility of any electoral process. As Serbia prepares for a new election cycle, it is important that the conditions allow for broad political participation and reinforce public confidence in the electoral process. In that regard, the implementation of the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations related to elections in Serbia is of critical importance. Some important laws pertaining to those recommendations have recently been passed in the Serbian Assembly, and we value this positively. Switzerland holds the OSCE Chairpersonship this year and we see the ODIHR recommendations as a practical roadmap to further strengthen the electoral framework, including election administration, the media environment and the transparency of the process.
Serbia is today Switzerland’s most important economic partner in the Western Balkans
Their implementation can help build confidence among political actors and citizens alike. We therefore encourage continued dialogue and cooperation among all relevant stakeholders. While media pluralism exists, media freedom continues to face challenges, including when it comes to hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric and attacks against journalists. We remain engaged in a constructive dialogue with our various partners to address concerns raised by journalists, media associations and government entities.
You also serve as ambassador to Montenegro. Do you believe that country is on the threshold of joining the European Union, and what will ultimately determine the pace of its accession process – its fulfilment of membership criteria or broader geopolitical considerations?
— Whether Montenegro is ready to join the European Union is ultimately for the European Union and its member states to determine. The Western Balkan region’s stability and its European integration are a priority of our foreign policy. Switzerland is not an EU member state, but we believe that the European integration of Western Balkan countries would bring more prosperity and stability to the region. This is in the interest of everyone on the European continent.
From Switzerland’s perspective, we welcome reform efforts related to the rule of law and the economy, as well as the fight against transnational crime, which have been undertaken by the government of Montenegro. Those endeavours matter because they strengthen the way public institutions work and, in return, have led to more investments, which ultimately translate into more prosperity for the people. In 2024, Switzerland ranked as the 5th foreign direct investor in Montenegro. This shows not only the potential of Montenegro, but also the strength of the Swiss economy.
We are supporting Montenegro in the field of vocational education training through a regional project aimed at investing in technical schools in the Western Balkan region. At the same time, we are also one of the main contributors to the Montenegro Acceleration Fund, which is being managed by the United Nations Office in Podgorica.
Source: cordmagazine.com