REGIONAL POSITION OF SERBIA IN LIGHT OF FOREIGN POLICY RELATIONS WITH ITS “OLD NEIGHBORS”

LIŠANIN Mladen (Istraživač‐saradnik u Institutu za političke studije, Beograd), mladen.lisanin@yahoo.com

Due to turbulent circumstances and controversial heritage in regard to the breakup of ex‐Yugoslavia, regional position of Serbia is, within academic as well as the wider public, most often observed in the context of its relations with the “new” neighbors – the states that have emerged from the breakup of the former common country. This is in part because of constant tensions in the relations with ex‐Yugoslav states, but also due to the political agenda of Western actors, which sets the framework for regional integration processes through the concept of “Western Balkans”. Foreign policy relations of Serbia with its “old” neighbors (most notably, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, given that Albania has a distinct status as a de facto interested party in the dispute regarding the status of Kosovo and Metohija), nonetheless, remain at least just as important element of Serbia’s regional position. It is the author’s intention to point towards determinants of the foreign policy of Serbia, as factors that work, or are visible, through relations with Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. This will be observed in the context of bilateral and multilateral, formal and informal foreign policy connections and relations. The conclusion, in the form of a recommendation, is that international political dynamics in the “Western Balkans” should not completely avert research attention away from Serbian relations with its non‐Yugoslav neighbors.

Keywords: Serbia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, foreign policy, foreign policy determinants