Bećirović: Putin's visit to Belgrade aims to halt the region's NATO path

LJUBLJANA, (Patria) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is a very pragmatic politician and statesman, believes Zijad Bećirović, Director of the International Institute for Middle Eastern and Balkan Studies (IFIMES) from Ljubljana, commenting on the Russian President's visit to Belgrade yesterday.

Bećirović assesses that Putin's visit to Serbia is important for the Russian Federation, as Serbia opposes NATO membership, which is one of Russia's foreign policy goals.

“And not only does Serbia oppose it, but in its own name, and largely in the name of Russia, it is trying to prevent Macedonia from joining NATO, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina through its exponents in the entity of Republika Srpska,” said Bećirović, recalling similar scenarios before Montenegro's entry into NATO, as well as events thereafter.

“The Russian Federation, very clearly, through the words of President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is sending messages that these countries must not become NATO members,” said Bećirović, adding that such behavior by Russia can be assessed as interference in the internal affairs of countries in the region.

The Director of IFIMES also assesses that Putin is trying to create a "Putinization of Orthodoxy" in countries with a majority Orthodox population, while at the same time cooperating excellently with Iran or Syria.

“Putin's pragmatism has been confirmed in both global and regional frameworks,” said Bećirović.

The Director of IFIMES expects that some countries in the Western Balkan region might change their geopolitical orientation, such as, he points out, Serbia turning towards Eurasian integration.

“The insistence on EU membership and the rhetoric used in Serbia is just a big bluff. The same applies to Milorad Dodik,” said Bećirović, recalling Dodik's statement calling for Bosnia and Herzegovina to be admitted to the EU under an accelerated procedure, although, Bećirović assesses, this is impossible.

“Not a single country has become an EU member in such a way,” said Bećirović.