North Macedonia–Serbia relations

Last updated
North Macedonia–Serbia relations
North Macedonia - Serbia Locator.png
Flag of North Macedonia.svg
North Macedonia 		Flag of Serbia.svg
Serbia

North Macedonia and Serbia maintain diplomatic relations established between North Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (of which Serbia is considered sole legal successor) in 1996. [1]

Contents

History

Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of North Macedonia, and Ana Brnabic, Prime Minister of Serbia, in Belgrade, 2017 Zoran Zaev & Ana Brnabic (official visit to Serbia, 21.11.2017).jpg
Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of North Macedonia, and Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister of Serbia, in Belgrade, 2017

Both countries were constituent republics within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Following the declaration of independence of then-Republic of Macedonia in 1991, the Yugoslav People's Army peacefully left Macedonia, therefore it was the only former Yugoslav republic that gained independence without conflict or war.

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was formed in 1992 by the remaining Yugoslav republics Montenegro and Serbia. However, bilateral relations were not established immediately but only in 1996. [2] The establishment of bilateral relations was conducted under the country's constitutional name - Republic of Macedonia. [3] Serbia, therefore, was one of 131 countries in the world that recognized the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name. [4]

Following Macedonia's recognition of Kosovo's independence in 2008, the ambassador of Macedonia was expelled from Serbia. [5] The break in relations lasted a few months. [6] Both countries are part of the Open Balkan, an economic and political zone of three member states in the Balkans.

In 2021, Serbia donated 8,000 of their own Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to North Macedonia, which were received by Prime Minister Zaev who described the act as "solidarity in practice". [7] [8] President Aleksandar Vučić stated on the occasion that Serbia's only interest with the donation is "friendship and that we may live as best friends". [9]

The Serbian Orthodox Church for many years blocked the visits of Macedonian state delegations to the Prohor Pčinjski Monastery in southern Serbia on Macedonia's Day of the Republic, the place where the foundations of Macedonia's statehood were laid during World War II at the first plenary session of ASNOM.

A 2022 poll found that the citizens of North Macedonia consider Serbia to be their favorite neighboring country. [10]

Issue of the autocephaly of the Macedonian Orthodox Church

The Serbian Orthodox Church did not recognize the Macedonian Orthodox Church, which declared autocephaly from the Serbian church in 1967. In 2022, the church dispute was resolved when the Serbian Orthodox Church restored Macedonian Orthodox Church under its previous autonomous status and later granted it autocephaly. [11]

Economic relations

Trade between two countries amounted to $1.5 billion in 2023; Serbia's merchandise export to North Macedonia were over $1 billion; North Macedonian exports were standing at $462 million. [12]

Serbian public telecommunications company Telekom Srbija is the owner of MTEL which is one of three telecom operators in North Macedonia. [13]

Serbs in North Macedonia

Serbs in North Macedonia are recognized ethnic minority group. As of the 2021 Census, 23,847 individuals identified as Serbs and 11,252 declared their mother tongue as Serbian. [14] They are mostly concentrated along the northern border with Serbia (rural parts of municipalities of Staro Nagoričane and, to a lesser degree, Kumanovo) and in Čučer-Sandevo municipality in the region of Skopska Crna Gora - which is municipality with the highest percentage of Serbs in the country (roughly 21% of the population).

Macedonians in Serbia

Macedonians in Serbia are recognized ethnic minority group and number 14,767, constituting 0.2% of the country's population. [15] They are predominately concentrated in South Banat where they were colonized after the World War II. Macedonians form significant part of populations (although far from majority) in three villages (Jabuka, Glogonj, and Kačarevo) in the administrative area of city of Pančevo as well as in the village of Dužine, in municipality of Plandište.

Resident diplomatic missions

See also

References

  1. ↑ "North Macedonia". www.mfa.gov.rs.
  2. ↑ "Министерство за надворешни работи". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Republic of Serbia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs".
  4. ↑ Bolivia is 131. country to use Macedonia's constitutional name Ekonom:east Media Group. 20-01-2011
  5. ↑ "Serbia Expels Macedonian, Montenegrin Envoys Over Kosovo". DW.COM. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "My Info Agent". Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Serbia donates Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to North Macedonia". ABC News. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  8. ↑ "Serbia donates Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to North Macedonia". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  9. ↑ "Вучић предао Заеву вакцине које Србија донира Северној Македонији". Politika Online. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  10. ↑ "Građani Severne Makedonije smatraju Srbiju najvećim prijateljem". 15 April 2022.
  11. ↑ "Serbian Patriarch Brings "Good News" to Newly-Recognised Macedonian Church". Balkan Insight. 5 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "Privredna komora Srbije". Privredna komora Srbije.
  13. ↑ "MTEL postao i mobilni operater u Severnoj Makedoniji". Mtel.ba. June 10, 2022.
  14. ↑ "2021 census, municipality by mother tongue". makstat.gov.mk.
  15. ↑ "Попис у Србији 2011". popis2011.stat.rs.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.