When British Foreign Minister Edward Grey submitted the plan of the territorial division of the Ottoman Empire after the First Balkan war to Balkan delegates in 1913, asking them to either adopt the plan or to leave London, Serbian representative Stojan Novakovic has consulted Belgrade and signed the offered contract. Although Serbia did not get “Serbian coast” with Drac and the neighborhood, as well as the long wanted exit to the Adriatic sea, the contract has enabled the joining of Kosovo and Macedonia, together with the expansion of its territory with nearly 40.000 km2.
Previous Serbian great success was at the Berlin Congress in 1878. when the merger of four districts increased the state borders for 11000km2. Serbian politicians were not satisfied with the decisions of major powers adopted behind closed doors, although its interests were effectively defended by Jovan Ristic. But they were aware of their current power, took what they were offered and received state independence. A third example would be the action of the Yugoslav delegation at the Peace Conference in Paris in 1919, which has consistently refused to sit at a table that had on it the name of the Kingdom of Serbia, despite the awareness that most of the decisions depended on the so-called ‘Big four’. And they ultimately succeeded.
Although history is not always the teacher, these few examples show what was then and still is the relationship of Serbia with the world. It is not new to great powers, more of them or only one, to crucially impact the future of small countries. And no matter how unfair that is, the small countries have no other choice than to skillfully integrate into the current politics of large countries, to predict and monitor global trends and not to remain ‘outside world’, to adjust their interests in accordance with the intentions of those who make decisions, to use the different views and the ‘cracks ‘in the viewpoints of the big ones, to always have backup options and know how far they can go, and, of course, to secure their back…
In earlier periods the main pillars were Russia, France, USA and dozens of non-aligned countries whose large number provided support, but today there is no safe ally. In addition, the political leaders often ignore the fact that Serbia is a tiny part of the world which will grow to a 7 billion population by the end of the year, while we will be just over 7 million, it is even less than the population of Congolese capital Kinshasa, not to mention other world megapolis!
Acting like a significant international participant and convincing your own nation in diplomatic successes are deception, especially if it is known that in most major countries our diplomats can make it only to a Deputy Secretary or an Assistant Minister.
The above mentioned Novakovic and Ristic were politicians, Prime Ministers, Presidents of the Academy of Sciences, MPs, scientists. Our contemporary diplomats are psychiatrists, gynecologists, physicians, writers … Many of them are successful in their professions, and they were sent abroad for their (un)suspicious accomplishments in political parties. In the case of writers, the choice was often justified by the fact that their famous predecessors – Ivo Andric, Milan Rakic, Jovan Ducic, Milos Crnjanski – were also diplomats. It is never mentioned that they all started as a clerk in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then progressed to the Secretary, Press attaché, consul, charge d’affaires, and one of them even became an ambassador in his late years… They were all professional diplomats and writing was just a hobby. Their analyses were professional and had the reading audience (let’s recall Consul Rakic’s reports from Kosovo or everyday comments or prime ministers on the margins of delegates’ letters from abroad). I doubt that future historians will often find similar examples.
The fact that diplomatic skills are acquired only by long and hard work and that the protocol should be followed in the interests of the country, is evident in the recently published “Records from India 1997-2002” by Cedomir Strbac which provide the examples of when and whom to respond to the reception, but also of the helplessness of those who implement the Serbian foreign policy if it is basically undefined. The current position of Serbia between a province, districts or additional commercial space (whichever), does not leave much room for self-awareness and dignity. But does not rule out the possibility that the smart-thinking, timely decisions and leveraging national interests in the global flows can preserve self-respect. The condition is to recognize the difference between the condescension and pride. While the first one is disgusting to everyone, the excess of the second can cause counter effects.
Serbia – the country in a draft
We still haven’t heard what the authorities consider as truly possible